RAWALPINDI, Feb 14: An armed man, who was killed during a shootout with security personnel at the Islamabad airport on February 6, is suspected to have links with a banned militant outfit, security sources told Dawn late Wednesday evening.

The sources claimed that evidences suggest that the attacker, Mohammad Younas, belonging to the Leghari tribe of Dera Ghazi Khan, had links with the `Amjad Farooqi group' of the banned sectarian outfit.

The evidences also suggest that the man was not on a suicide mission but on a target killing mission, although his target did not seem to be a high-profile personality," the sources said.

The attacker was carrying four hand-grenades and two pistols. Apparently, the grenades were to be used by him for an easy escape. But one of the grenades he was carrying exploded during an exchange of fire with security personnel.

The sources said the attacker was identified by the CID Lahore during an interrogation of another accused.

"It was a surprise for his (Younas's) parents as they were not expecting such an act from their son," a security source said.

A post-mortem has already been carried out and blood samples have been taken to establish the identity of the attacker. The body was kept at the mortuary of the District Headquarters Hospital, Rawalpindi.

A DNA test led to the identification of Mohammad Younas.

The sources said that the relatives of Younas had left for Rawalpindi to claim the body.

The government had announced a reward money of Rs1 million for the identification of the attacker.

Tariq Saeed Birmani adds from Dera Ghazi Khan: The mother of Mohammad Younas on Wednesday recognised her son through sketches carried in newspapers for his identification.

After the identification of suicide bomber’s body by his parents, a councillor of the area informed the authorities concerned in Islamabad, sources said.

When contacted the councillor, Akbar Khan Malkani, said Mohammed Younas was son of Ghulam Qadir Pheroani Leghari, a resident of the Rasheedabad Union Council 4. He said Younas’s parents had asked him to inform the authorities concerned and help them get the remains their son.

He was a religious-minded youth, the councillor added.

The mother said that before leaving the house three months ago her son had divorced his wife. He was father of a two-year-old baby.

The mother demanded that his son’s body should be handed over to her for burial.