Punjab IGP reveals terrorist attack in Daska mosque planned from ‘abroad’

LAHORE: The Punjab Inspector General of Police, Dr. Usman Anwar, announced on Friday the arrest of individuals involved in the recent terrorist attack on a mosque in Sialkot. He attributed blame to a foreign intelligence agency, characterizing it as a “rogue nation’s hostile intelligence agency.”

Addressing the media in Lahore, Dr. Anwar stated that the attack was “planned outside Pakistan.” He refrained from naming the nation allegedly behind the mosque shooting in Daska, Sialkot, which resulted in at least two fatalities earlier this week.

The tragic incident occurred during Fajr prayers when three terrorists opened fire inside the Jamia Masjid Al-Noor, leading to the immediate death of the mosque’s in-charge, Shahid, reportedly affiliated with a banned organization, and his security guard, Hashim. Another worshipper, Abdul Ahad, suffered critical injuries and was transported to Gujranwala for urgent medical attention. At least six unidentified gunmen were involved in the attack, with three of them directly responsible for the fatal shootings.

Dr. Anwar emphasized the identification of the perpetrators through collaborative efforts among law enforcement agencies, with most of them having been apprehended. He pledged that the Pakistani state, through its law enforcement bodies, would unveil the responsible nation to the global community.

The Punjab police chief issued a warning to those conspiring against Pakistan, referring to them as “rats” and cautioned them to prepare for exposure of their nefarious activities. He noted that the Foreign Office and other institutions are actively working towards this goal.

Dr. Anwar disclosed that various law enforcement agencies, including the police, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and Military Intelligence (MI), are collaborating to not only identify the suspects behind this incident but also to preempt future attacks.

The arrested culprits involved in the Daska mosque shooting will be presented before the court for legal proceedings.

Dr. Anwar provided specific details about the attack, revealing that a hostile intelligence agency sent an individual to Pakistan. Comprehensive records have been gathered about the individual, including details about their activities and geo-location. The person arrived in Pakistan between October 6 and October 9, executing the plan on October 11.

‘Seven high-profile terrorists arrested,’ says Punjab CTD

The IGP pledged to identify the hostile nation in the upcoming press conference and promised to reveal the names of the three shooters and their accomplices. He underscored the wealth of evidence at their disposal, including data from platforms like Booking.com and other sources, and highlighted the rigorous investigations conducted by constables in searching hotels.

“We have collected irrefutable evidence, which will be presented to the media and court,” the IGP assured.

The Daska mosque shooting took place during Fajr prayers, with three unidentified gunmen opening fire on worshippers. Tragically, two individuals were martyred, and another suffered serious injuries. A police case has been registered against six unidentified persons under various sections of the law. Punjab IGP demanded a thorough investigation and immediate arrest of the accused.

Shahid, the mosque-in-charge, hailed from Eimanabad, Hashim from Bhakkar, and Abdul Ahad from Lodhran.