KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) eliminated the mastermind behind the February 2023 terror attack on the Karachi Police Office (KPO) in a dramatic shootout in the Mochko area late Tuesday night. The operation marks a significant breakthrough in the ongoing fight against terrorism in Pakistan.
Omar Farooq, the alleged mastermind, was killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) near the Northern Bypass. According to CTD officials, the operation was meticulously planned and executed based on precise intelligence inputs.
On February 17, 2023, three terrorists armed with suicide jackets stormed the multi-story KPO building, triggering an hours-long standoff. All three terrorists were neutralized, but the attack resulted in the martyrdom of four individuals, including two policemen and a Sindh Rangers sub-inspector—seventeen others, comprising police and Rangers personnel, sustained injuries.
CTD DIG Asif Aijaz Shaikh, speaking to journalists at Civil Hospital, confirmed Farooq’s affiliation with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Omar Farooq was the mastermind of the KPO attack,” he stated. Authorities recovered a pistol and a motorcycle from Farooq’s possession.
The elimination of Farooq comes amid a troubling rise in terrorist activities across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. The latest incident last week saw the martyrdom of two soldiers and five civilians in DI Khan.
In response to the escalating threat, the government recently launched “Azm-e-Istehkam,” a renewed national anti-terror initiative. The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) Annual Security Report highlighted a grim statistic: the second quarter of 2024 alone witnessed 380 violence-linked fatalities and 220 injuries from 240 terror incidents and counter-terror operations. Civilians and security personnel accounted for 236 of these fatalities.
KP and Balochistan, which share borders with Afghanistan, bore the brunt of these attacks, with 92% of all fatalities and 87% of attacks reported in these regions. KP alone accounted for 67% of all fatalities, with Balochistan following at 25%.
As Pakistan intensifies its anti-terrorism efforts, the elimination of key figures like Omar Farooq represents a crucial step towards restoring peace and security in the nation.
