KARACHI: The mastermind of the February 17 terror attack on the Karachi Police Office (KPO) and his accomplice were killed in an encounter, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Monday.
The mastermind of the attack, Aradullah, was shot dead following a CTD operation on a tip-off near the Northern Bypass in Manghopir area of the city.
CTD officials said that two terrorists, including the mastermind, were killed in the exchange of fire, while two others were arrested.
According to CTD, Aradullah was the commander of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Karachi, while the second terrorist killed was identified as Abdul Waheed.
Last month, three terrorists wearing suicide jackets entered the multi-storey KPO building. After that, police commandos and paramilitary forces cleared the building in an operation that lasted for several hours.
The three terrorists were killed in the operation and four people, including two policemen and a sub-inspector of Sindh Rangers, lost their lives in the nerve-racking operation that lasted for more than four hours.
At least 17 others, including police and Rangers personnel, were also injured in the terror attack, which followed a deadly suicide attack at a mosque in Peshawar Civil Lines that killed at least 85 people.
DIG East Muqadas Haider, DIG South Ifran Baloch, DIG Rapid Response Force (RRF) Nasir Aftab, Special Security Unit (SSU) and Sindh Rangers participated in the operation. Pakistan Army also assisted law enforcement agencies.
Later, a case was registered against TTP in CTD police station.
