KARACHI: Despite the success of the operation clean-up at city aerodrome that led to elimination of all ten militants, the sleek execution of the brazen attack clearly suggests the role of the Taliban’s sleeper cells within the town that has to have planned it throughout the interval once their central leadership was busy talking peace with the govt.
Background interviews with current and former intelligence and enforcement officers unconcealed that real success against militants wasn't potential until the elimination of their sleeper cells whose members provided shelter, weapons, explosives, transport and even intelligence to their comrades chargeable for polishing off attacks.
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They aforementioned the attack on the aerodrome was a piece of designing that has to have begun weeks if not months before its execution and it appeared the TTP leadership was victimization the time it had bought through a ceasefire to place the finishing touches to the look of the aerodrome attack.
“It’s not that straightforward that one fine day ten men realize a soft spot within the security and sneak into the aerodrome, fireplace at security personnel and find killed when a battle whereas AN attempt|attempting} to blow an craft,” aforementioned associate intelligence official.
“Even a standard man will perceive that there should be a mastermind [behind such attacks] however what they don’t perceive is that the indisputable fact that there ar individuals, plenty of individuals really, UN agency live in their thick like traditional individuals however really work for terrorist teams,” he said.
Since its institution, the officers aforementioned, the illegal Tehreek-i-Taliban Asian nation, that claimed responsibility for the aerodrome attack, has been causation its associates to city with the one objective to mix with the native population and settle in their thick while not arousing suspicion.
While a whole lot, if not thousands, of TTP militants were already living and in operation within the town with active support of their likeminded sectarian and nisus teams, the TTP, throughout the time of Baitullah Mehsud, primarily used the sleeper cells to infiltrate non-public security corporations in city to gather info, that it accustomed rob banks, money vans and moneychangers, aforementioned the officers.
Inside job
The officers aforementioned that it couldn't be dominated out that some Taleban loyalists managed to urge some low-level jobs in sensitive places, wherever background checks weren't in the slightest degree disbursed.
“In many previous [terrorism] cases we've seen within involvement,” aforementioned one former senior official. “A Rangers inspector gave info to militants regarding the route of then president information Pervez Musharraf once he visited city in 2002. There ar reports of within facilitate within the Mehran airbase attack. Some junior level army, navy and air force officers are guilty of serving to militants. therefore it’s not new...there should be some within facilitate [in the aerodrome attack] conjointly,” they aforementioned.
According to them, the within facilitate may come back from aerodrome staff, contractors, labourers engaging at the freight shed, etc. There was conjointly an opening that somebody within the aerodrome personnel might need helped militants or their mastermind, they said.
“The ASF is associate union force and when the Mehran airbase attack each single security personnel denote at sensitive places like airports undergoes plenty of background checks. So no, I don’t assume anyone within the forces may facilitate them. Still, we tend to are wanting into this side,” aforementioned an officer.
However, this associated former officers concurred that while not info such an attack couldn't be planned and dead.
Breakthrough difficult
With all ten militants eliminated, it's onerous to urge a breakthrough within the investigation of the aerodrome attack case.
“The central leadership of the TTP, or perhaps the Al foreign terrorist organization, solely chooses the target and provides the go-ahead [for the attacks]. however the work of designing, intelligence operation, choice of operatives, their move, boarding, etc. is overseen by a special man or atiny low cluster of men,” aforementioned a former official, UN agency had investigated most high-profile coercion cases since the September 11 attacks within the U.S.A..
“Tracing that man or men is associate uphill task, particularly once all attackers are killed and nobody was captured alive,” he said.
The officers aforementioned that it'd be potential the attackers failed to communicate with one another through mobile phones. however it absolutely was unfeasible that they or a minimum of one amongst them wasn't in touch with their or his mastermind over the phone.
“Finding that phone is that the key. Or if the phone had been destroyed then an in depth examination of the decision traffic from the cell towers involved could cause some breakthrough,” aforementioned a former official. “But this needs patience, legion resources and men. i do know this [process] has already begun and shortly we'll realize the needle within the rick.”
Two former officers aforementioned that investigation was the task of police and not the ASF. Unless that they had CCTV footage, the ASF couldn't even establish what vehicle the terrorists accustomed reach the Fokker Gate.
The ASF isn't trained to gather proof. This was evident from their handling of the weapons recovered from the militants. there's continuously an opening that somebody aside from the attackers could have left fingerprints on the weapons. The weapons ought to are wrapped in plastic sheets before being sent for rhetorical examination. however this chance had been lost as a result of poor handling, they added.
Threat still alive
The officers warned that as long because the mastermind and also the sleeper cells existed, individuals ought to be prepared for a lot of terrorist attacks because the militants were therefore indoctrinated that they were able to die.
Their sleeper cells would become active whenever the military launched a complete operation against their bases in Waziristan, the officers aforementioned, adding that the sole thanks to counter them was a good and coordinated intelligence assortment mechanism and use of the newest technology. “We will win the war, however thanks to an absence of resources we tend to aren't winning it,” ascertained an officer.
Also Read: FIR Registered Against TTP
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