ISLAMABAD: In a significant counterterrorism success, a top Pakistani intelligence agency has foiled a major terrorist plot targeting the strategic PAF Masroor Airbase in Karachi, intelligence sources confirmed on Thursday.
According to officials, the elaborate plan was orchestrated by a commander of the Afghanistan-based militant group Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK), who heads the organization’s notorious suicide squad. The plot involved a cell of nine highly trained militants — including five Afghan nationals — led by a senior FAK operative wanted in several terrorism cases.
The group had infiltrated Pakistan from Afghanistan and had taken up covert residence near the airbase. Their objective, officials revealed, was to penetrate the facility through a pre-identified entry point, seize control, destroy aircraft and infrastructure, and hold the base in a prolonged armed standoff to inflict maximum damage.
The operation had reportedly been in planning for over thirteen months and was being directly overseen by FAK’s top command structure based in Afghanistan. The terrorists conducted extensive reconnaissance and preparations while living in proximity to the target.
However, the intelligence agency had been monitoring their activities over an extended period. Acting swiftly just as the militants prepared to execute the final phase of their plan, intelligence operatives launched a coordinated covert operation, arresting the suspects from multiple locations across the country.
This preemptive action not only secured one of the nation’s most vital military installations but also dismantled a key FAK network believed to be responsible for several past attacks — including the November 2024 assault on Chinese engineers at Liberty Textile Mills in Karachi’s SITE industrial area.
The same FAK commander apprehended in this latest operation is suspected of orchestrating that previous attack before fleeing across the border into Afghanistan. He is described by authorities as an explosives expert, formerly aligned with the Afghan Taliban during their insurgency against NATO and ISAF forces.
Initial findings from the investigation also suggest the involvement of hostile foreign intelligence agencies, allegedly providing support, funding, and equipment to terrorist factions like FAK in efforts to destabilize Pakistan. Officials cited a similar terror plot foiled in October 2024, which aimed to disrupt a high-profile international event in Islamabad.
Despite persistent threats, security officials reaffirmed the resolve of Pakistan’s armed forces, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement to protect national interests. “Our institutions remain vigilant, resilient, and committed to neutralizing every threat to Pakistan’s peace and sovereignty,” a senior security official said.
