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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan busts suicide bomb gang |
| 2009-01-29 |
| PAKISTANI police said today they had arrested a nine-member gang linked to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, who are wanted for multiple suicide bombings, including an attack outside the Danish embassy. "We have busted a gang of nine high-profile terrorists, who were involved in several high-profile attacks in recent times," said Rao Iqbal, police chief in Rawalpindi - the garrison city close to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. A senior police investigator said the nine were linked to al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, which US officials say have become a safe haven for hundreds of extremists fleeing Afghanistan. "They were involved in five high-profile suicide attacks (in Pakistan)," said the investigator, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information. He listed the attacks as bombings outside the Danish embassy and an Italian restaurant in Islamabad; an attack on an army medical corps bus and the killing of Pakistan's most senior military officer to die in a post-2001 attack. Six people were killed, including a Dane, in a devastating car bomb attack outside the Danish embassy on June 2. A Turkish woman aid worker died and at least 10 other foreigners were wounded, including several US diplomats, when a bomb exploded at the popular Luna Caprese Italian restaurant in Islamabad on March 15. Police said the gang also helped orchestrate a suicide bombing near Islamabad's Red Mosque on July 7 that killed 19 people, mostly policemen. "They were involved in logistics and providing suicide bombers to hit targets," the senior police official said. Police said the arrests marked the highest number of suspected militants captured from one gang from Rawalpindi since Pakistan joined the US-led "war on terror" after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. According to senior police officers, the Rawalpindi nine had links to Usama al-Kini, al-Qaeda's top commander in Pakistan, who was killed in a US missile strike on January 1, in South Waziristan. The suspects were arrested this week when a police intelligence team raided their den, the police official said. He said the ring leader had been identified as Mohammed Illyas, also known as Qari Jamil, a former prisoner held for three years at the US-run Guantanamo Bay detention centre housing alleged suspects in the US-led "war on terror". Mr Iqbal said police recovered 100kg of potassium chloride, 50 detonators and 20kg of ball bearings, which militants pack in suicide vests to maximise carnage. Police officials said the gang also provided suicide bombers for an Independence Day attack in the eastern city of Lahore on August 14 last year and an earlier attack on the Naval War College, also in Lahore. They had confessed to their involvement in these attacks, police said. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #3 Logically, this should be okay. Mohammed Illyas, also known as Qari Jamil, wants to perform a suicide bombing - we want him to perfrom a suicide bombing. Let the fireworks go forward! |
| Posted by: whatadeal 2009-01-29 17:51 |
| #2 The command to "go and sin no more" worked better for Jesus than it does for us. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2009-01-29 17:44 |
| #1 "He said the ring leader had been identified as Mohammed Illyas, also known as Qari Jamil, a former prisoner held for three years at the US-run Guantanamo Bay detention centre housing alleged suspects in the US-led "war on terror"." Any incredible snarks on this tidbit? |
| Posted by: tipover 2009-01-29 14:41 |