Arrested ‘terrorists’ confess to involvement in four incidents

The News - International, Pakistan - Aug 1, 2007

Arrested ‘terrorists’ confess to involvement in four incidents
By Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: Three alleged terrorists nabbed by the city police near the General Bus Stand have confessed before the interrogators at the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) their involvement in four more terrorism incidents, reliable sources confided to The News here Wednesday. Mohammad Ayaz, Bahadur and Keyaz, all real brothers belonging to Serai Naurang in Lakki Marwat, had been arrested on July 27 when, according to police, they were planning to blow up the busiest Pir Zakori Sharif Bridge at the Ring Road-GT Road intersection. Cases were registered against them at Gulbahar police station under 3/4 Explosive Act, 7 ATA, 5 Explosive Act and 427 PPC. Investigators consider the arrests as a major breakthrough in investigating terrorism cases that had struck the provincial capital since last year. It would be really a great achievement if the gang’s confession were not just because of the “special treatment” at SIU, previously known as CIA. “The gang has confessed their involvement in blast outside Greens Hotel on March 26 and an explosion at the canteen of Peshawar airport on April 28. Besides, they have confessed their partial hand in seven explosions in a godown of goods being transported to Afghanistan for Nato forces on Ring Road on June 28,” reliable sources disclosed while talking to this scribe. Another bomb, sources continued, that they had planted in a bus stand on GT Road did not go off for technical reasons. Senior police officers, soon after the arrest of the three brothers, alleged the network had been working for the spy agency of a neighbouring country that had promised to give them $20,000 for blowing up key targets in Peshawar. Capital City Police Chief Abdul Majeed was hesitant to confirm anything about the confession of the alleged terrorists when approached on his cellular phone. Later he admitted the three have confessed their involvement in blasts outside Greens Hotel and in the canteen of Peshawar airport.