Pakistan arrests Taliban chief of Punjab province

Acting on an intelligence tip-off, security agencies have nabbed the Punjab chief of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Khalilullah, along with a trained suicide bomber.

Khalillulah is said to be the right hand man of the killed Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud.

The arrest was made some 12 days ago when the cantonment division police and intelligence officials raided an outhouse in the Manawan locality.

Khalilullah, whose arrest was announced Thursday, was the mastermind of a market bombing in Punjab's provincial capital, Lahore, on Dec. 7 that killed 50 people, said senior police investigator Chaudhry Shafiq.

On information provided by Khalil, police captured another eight terror suspects, three of them from Tandlianwala in Faisalabad district.

During interrogation, Khalillulah revealed that they were planning to attack the flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah border.

According to sources, the Punjab Taliban chief had disclosed during the interrogation that he had a team of 600 suicide bombers ready to wreak havoc across Pakistan.

Khalillulah was also on the US list of most-wanted terrorists.

According to Capital City Police Officer Pervez Rathor, Khalillulah was involved in all terror acts in Punjab.

“He masterminded the Moon Market suicide bombings and provided logistic support to suicide bombers. Khalil arranged food, accommodation, weapons and vehicles for the bombers for attacks across the province,” Rathor said.

- Asian Tribune -