–Nexus developing between ultra-religious and secular Baloch terrorists, sources claim
–Use of suicide jackets by BLA terrorists reflects a new threat for Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Simultaneous terrorist attacks on the Chinese consulate in Karachi and Kalaya Bazaar of Orakzai agency during Friday point towards a possible collusion between religious and secular terrorist groups who have never worked together due to their differences.
It appears as if the two are now either being directed by one entity or both are working in tandem to attack various targets the same day, well-placed sources in the federal government believe while adding that the two attacks were coordinated to some extent.
“It seems as if the targets had been managed with a view that the first attack would attract attention of the LEAs providing an opportunity to terrorists to target Karachi,” the source disclosed, saying that initial leads suggested that the mastermind of both attacks was same.
Former foreign secretary Syed Jalil Abbas Jilani also hinted at the same possibility, suspecting Indian involvement in the Karachi attack.
“We have incontrovertible evidence of the support BLA receives from our neighbourhood. Together with China, we should launch a campaign to expose this nexus. Clearly, today’s terrorist attack in Karachi is an attempt to scare the Chinese and undermine CPEC. Such tactics will fail,” Jilani tweeted.
Traditionally, religious terrorist outfits like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State (IS) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) have been mounting attacks inside Pakistan on Friday as Muslim worshipers go to offer mass prayers.
However, Baloch terrorist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Baloch Republican Army (BRA) or United Baloch Army (UBA) have never mounted attacks on Fridays as traditionally, Baloch separatists run secular organisations and don’t link religion with their movement.
The sources said that according to the initial investigation, Pakistan believed that the mastermind of the terrorist attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi was Aslam, alias Achoo Baloch, who operated from India.
“Achoo’s rank in the BLA is commander of the suicide squad. His son carried out the suicide bombing on a Bus in Dalbandin during August. We believe he is the operational commander of the attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi. These days, Achoo is receiving medical treatment in New Delhi, India,” the official said.
The official said that the attack had blessings from BLA chief Harbiyar Marri who is being hosted by United Kingdom (UK) in London. Marri was granted political asylum in 2011.
Another important feature about Karachi attack is that this was the second time that BLA attackers had been wearing suicide jackets.
A BLA attacker had detonated his IED-borne vehicle near a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dalbandin, Chagai, in August this year which proved to be the first suicide attack from the Baloch terror group.
“Historically, BLA never raised suicide bombers. However, this new trend also signifies some new nexus developing between the ultra-religious terrorist outfits like Daesh and TTP with secular Baloch terrorists like BLA,” the official said, adding that the use of suicide jackets by BLA terrorists reflects a new threat for Pakistan.
The official concluded that “this also signifies that their handlers were the one and were operating from Afghanistan.”
