Pakistan police arrests two suspects involved in suicide attacks.

Headline

Pakistan police arrests two suspects involved in suicide attacks.

Intro

Pakistan police say they have arrested two suspects involved in suicide attacks outside a crowded polling station in the southwestern city of Quetta in 2018, and attack on a sufi shrine that killed more than 80 people in 2017.

Story

Shotlist: KARACHI, PAKISTAN (FEBRUARY 20, 2019) (VNA – ACCESS ALL)

1.      WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE

2.      CAMERAMAN FILMING

3.      REPORTERS

4.      (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE (EAST), AMIR FAROOQI, SAYING: ”Malir Police and the Federal Investigation Agency carried out a joint action and apprehended two dangerous Islamic State terrorists. The arrested men include main suspect of the Sehwan bomb blast. The other accused was involved in kidnapping for ransom in Karachi. I will tell you his cases. He, with his accomplices, would collect funds for his organisation through kidnapping for ransom."

5.      JOURNALISTS

6.      HANDS OF REPORTER WORKING ON CELL PHONE

7.      (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE (EAST), AMIR FAROOQI, SAYING: ”The arrested man Furqan Bungalzai, went to the shrine at Sehwan to carry out recce and then informed Mufti Hidayatullah. After the recce by the accused, Nadir and Nauman took the suicide bomber named Usman to Sehwan Sharif who carried out attack on the shrine. As a result 82 people were martyred and 383 were wounded."

8.      JOURNALISTS

9.      (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE (EAST), AMIR FAROOQI, SAYING: ”The second biggest of their action was a suicide attack on polling station on the eastern bypass in Quetta on July 25, 2018."

10.  END OF NEWS CONFERENCE

SEHWAN, PAKISTAN (FILE - FEBRUARY 17, 2017) (VNA – ACCESS ALL)

11.  EXTERIOR OF SHRINE

12.  SCATTERED BELONGINGS

13.  BELONGINGS ON BLOOD-STAINED FLOOR

14.  SECURITY OUTSIDE SHRINE

QUETTA, PAKISTAN (FILE - JULY 25, 2018) (VNA – ACCESS ALL)

15.  AMBULANCE AND SOLDIERS ON BLAST SITE

16.  CARS DESTROYED BY BLAST/ FLAGS OF POLITICAL PARTIES

17.  SOLDIERS/ DESTRUCTION

STORY: Pakistan police said on Wednesday (February 20) they had arrested two suspects involved in suicide attacks outside a crowded polling station in the southwestern city of Quetta in 2018, and attack on a sufi shrine that killed more than 80 people in 2017.

Holding a news conference in Karachi, Deputy Inspector General of Police (East), Amir Farooqi claimed the arrested men belonged to outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Islamic State.

”Malir Police and the Federal Investigation Agency carried out a joint action and apprehended two dangerous Islamic State terrorists. The arrested men include main suspect of the Sehwan bomb blast. The other accused was involved in kidnapping for ransom in Karachi. I will tell you his cases. He, with his accomplices, would collect funds for his organisation through kidnapping for ransom,"he told reporters.

He said the arrested man Furqan Bungalzai was commander of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militant wing and was involved in several terror acts in Balochistan and Sindh provinces.

During an initial probe, he informed the investigators that Mufti Hidayatullah (now killed), Nauman and Maqbool had planned the deadly Sehwan blast, while he had carried out reconnaissance of the Sehwan shrine and passed on information to Mufti Hidayatullah.

After the reconnaissance, Maqbool and Nauman brought the suicide bomber, identified as Usman, to Sehwan, where he exploded himself on February 16, 2017.

”The arrested man Furqan Bungalzai, went to the shrine at Sehwan to carry out recce and then informed Mufti Hidayatullah. After the recce by the accused, Nadir and Nauman took the suicide bomber named Usman to Sehwan Sharif who carried out attack on the shrine. As a result 82 people were martyred and 383 were wounded,"said farooqi.

He said Bungalzai also confirmed that Mufti Hidayatullah was killed during an operation by security forces on July 20, 2018, in Kalat. Subsequently, the group decided to take revenge for Hidayatullah’s killing.

Then, the suicide bomber blew himself up, targeting a parked police mobile on the day of the general election, July 25, 2018, killing 32 people, including one policeman.

”The second biggest of their action was a suicide attack on polling station on the eastern bypass in Quetta on July 25, 2018."

Police said FIR (first information report) has been lodged and that they were investigating further.

End of shows and script

VNA Karachi.....Shahab.