Pakistani counter-terrorism officers say they killed mastermind of attack on police headquarters

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Officers of Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department said Monday that they killed the suspected mastermind of last month's brazen attack on the police headquarters in the southern port city of Karachi.

At least four security personnel and three attackers were killed in the hours-long clash after militants stormed the compound, which houses the office of the city police chief.

The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organization of several militant groups operating in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The counter-terrorism cell of the Karachi police said the alleged mastermind, Riaz Ullah, was killed along with an accomplice during a security operation at the city's northern bypass.

Ullah was the TTP's head for Karachi, the police said.

Another two suspected militants were arrested in the operation.

Pakistan has seen an uptick in terrorist attacks following the recapture of neighboring Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021.

Islamabad accused the TTP and its affiliates, who were pushed towards Afghanistan in the wake of a series of military operations in the northwestern tribal belt along the Afghan border since 2014, for the recent attacks.​​​​​​​

Kabul denies the claim.