KARACHI: In a joint intelligence-based operation in Karachi, the Sindh Rangers and police arrested two terrorists of the outlawed TTP involved in extortion and target killing of businessmen in the provincial capital on Sunday. According to the Rangers’ spokesperson, the Sindh Rangers and police in a joint operation conducted on the basis of intelligence arrested two terrorists of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

The terrorists were identified as Muhammad Kamal Khan and Abdul Qadir. They were involved in extortion and cases of target killings of traders in different areas of Karachi including Sadr, Mangopir and Banaras areas. Arrested terrorist Muhammad Kamal Khan is the leader of the group. According to the spokesperson, a businessman from Karachi had lodged a complaint that he was being called from different numbers in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the callers were demanding extortion money from him.

The accused who were involved in extortion and target killings, they used to get instructions from a TTP terrorist, Afsar Khan alias Arshad, who is in Afghanistan. The arrested terrorists would share the mobile numbers of local businessmen of Karachi with Afsar Khan in Afghanistan. The spokesperson further revealed that when the accused would receive extortion money from the traders, they sent the money to Afghanistan. If a trader refused to give money, they would either injure him or kill him, he added.

During initial investigation, the accused confessed to share mobile numbers of Karachi’s five businessmen with their boss in Afghanistan. They also confessed to giving extortion slips and killing two businessmen for non-payment of extortion money. The spokesperson said that the terrorists have been handed over to police which would take further action against them.