Wagah blast 'mastermind', two others killed in Lahore
LAHORE: The alleged Lahore chief of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who was also said to be the mastermind of November 2014's Wagah bombing was killed along with two associates in the provincial capital's Burki Road area, sources in law enforcement and intelligence agencies said early Saturday.
Intelligence agencies had been on a hunt for Roohullah alias Asadullah, the alleged mastermind of the Wagah attack since the Nov 2 bombing that killed at least 60 people.
Law enforcement officials told Dawn that a joint raid was carried out at a house located on Burki road on Lahore's outskirts on a tip-off regarding the TTP commander's presence.
Police officials said their raiding party came under gunfire upon entering the neighbourhood. Asadullah and his two accomplices opened fire on the raiding party and police fired back in retaliation. The exchange lasted for at least half an hour.
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Several blasts were also heard during the exchange of fire. After the firing subsided, policemen entered the premises and recovered bodies of the three alleged militants.
Police claimed that all three killed hailed from Bajaur and belonged to TTP's Mullah Fazlullah group and shifted the bodies to a morgue.
A huge quantity of arms, explosives, suicide vests, detonators, militant literature and other equipment was recovered during a search of the house.