Three Navy Dockyard attack suspects arrested in Quetta

QUETTA: Three suspects of the Navy Dockyard attack in Karachi were arrested here on Thursday. The three suspects had reached Quetta in a private car from Karachi.

According to reports, the suspects were trying to flee to Afghanistan when they were arrested and are believed to be associated with the Navy. Sources add that one of the suspects was deployed on duty at the Naval Dockyard.

There are reports that raids have also been conducted in connection with the attack in Swabi, interior Sindh and Karachi.

On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif revealed there was a strong possibility that Taliban militant’s who attacked the Naval Dockyard on September 6 had inside help.

In his address to Parliament, Mr Asif said three attackers were killed during the attack while seven others were arrested whereas one Naval officer also embraced martyrdom guarding the Naval Dockyard.

Giving details of September 6 attack, Khawaja Asif said terrorists breached security of the dockyard where they were engaged by Naval security who successfully made the terrorist attempt a failure.

The Defence Minister said one former naval officer who was expelled from the Navy in 2013 is also found involved in this incident. “This incident is a blowback of continued operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan,” he added.

Khawaja Asif said five 9mm pistols, three intercoms, four suicide jackets, two detonators, handcuffs and other ammunition was recovered. He said the conspiracy is not possible without any internal support, however investigations are in progress.