KARACHI: Contrary to their previous assumption that one single group has been targeting policemen and retired personnel of law enforcement agencies, counterterrorism officials now conclude that there are numerous splinter groups — of either outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan or Lashkar-i-Jhangvi — responsible for the spate of attacks in recent months, it emerged on Sunday.

“There are multiple groups involved in targeted killings of policemen in the city,” said Counter-Terrorism Department’s chief Additional Inspector General Sanaullah Abbasi.

He said the CTD assessed that there were apparently separate militant groups involved in around half a dozen acts of terrorism in the metropolis as their modus operandi were different in each case.

Outlawed TTP has formed a special cell to target LEA personnel

They were operating in the East and West zones of the police’s organisational structure.

A CTD assessment about recent targeted killings revealed that one group was almost certainly linked with the new outfit Ansar al-Sharia. Militants from banned Jundullah might have also joined this new outfit.

“This group, however, is made up of educated and media savvy individuals, who are equally concerned not only with their targeting of police officials but also with winning public perception and delegitimising the state,” said Mr Abbasi.

The other groups were “less calculated in their approach”, according to the CTD analysis, which added that at least one such group was a possible offshoot of the banned TTP or Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

Other groups were likely to be affiliated with the militant Islamic State group and/or LJ offshoots.

“There may also still be some remnants of Naeem Bukhari’s faction of the banned LJ who are now either operating independently following Bukhari’s arrest or forming new splinters with other groups,” said the CTD analysis.

The CTD assessment about the killings showed that Dawood Mehsud, a former policeman who has become the TTP-Karachi chief, might have led a group for targeting law enforcers.

However, the CTD said that there were also some indications that Mehsud might have died or had switched his allegiance to the IS.

In June, four policemen were shot dead by armed pillion riders when they were sitting at a roadside eatery in SITE to break their fast. The responsibility of the attack was claimed by the Ansar-ul-Sharia Pakistan.

It appeared later that the attackers were more “dangerous and trained” as if they had come from war zone, believed Abbasi.

He disclosed that the CCTV footage showed the attackers wearing “commando jackets” and sparing the life of a civilian who witnessed the gory incident.

In July, three policemen and a passer-by were shot dead by six armed assailants in Korangi. The gunmen had opened indiscriminate firing on the policemen. One of the policemen fell down in a storm-water drain but the culprits chased him and fired at him.

The killers, according to the CTD, lacked “precision”.

“It appeared that there was also an element of vengeance behind the targeted killings of the three policemen in Korangi,” said the CTD chief.

Also in July, a traffic policeman, Mohammed Khan, was gunned down and another wounded by armed assailants on busy Abul Hasan Ispahani Road in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

The CCTV footage obtained from the crime scene showed that one attacker was wearing pants and shirt.

He said that the outlawed TTP had established at least five different groups in the country to carry out terror acts.

One of such groups was known to the counterterrorism officials as the “Special Task Force (STF) of the TTP”.

The CTD assessment indicated that the STF was a “dangerous group” that appeared to be active in Karachi and other parts of the country.

This group has been tasked with carrying out attacks on the police and personnel of other law enforcement agencies.

“Presently, this group [STF] seems to be very active in Karachi and members of this group have expertise in making small IEDs [improvised explosive devices],” said the CTD head.

Referring to a task force led by the Rangers director general and comprising officials of CTD, intelligence agencies, etc, he said each terrorism case was being discussed by it and assessments of threat were also made to chalk out future strategies.

He said apart from recent killings of law enforcers in the city, the security officials were also working on the deadly Sehwan blast and the escape of two high-profile LJ militants from the Karachi central prison.

“There are some positive developments in all these high-profile cases,” he said, without elaborating.

The CTD chief Abbasi said there were “other challenges and threats” that had been prevented and neutralised but the people did not know about such things.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2017