Daily Times

QUETTA: After years of strenuous efforts, the intelligence and security agencies have managed to neutralise a well-organised structure of sectarian outfits in Balochistan, which were involved in the killing of hundreds of innocent people over the past few years.

Background interviews reveal that many of the key operatives of the proscribed sectarian outfits were either killed or captured. The cross-province manhunt for those at large has been under way. However, their cross-border movement and non-cooperation from the Afghan authorities have made the task of the Pakistani agencies rather difficult.

The spectre of sectarianism began to haunt the people of Balochistan after an unannounced alliance between Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Baloch militants who had motives to spread violence on sectarian grounds. The story dates back to the late 1990s, several years before the 9/11 incident took place.

The unholy wedlock between the proponents of sectarianism gave birth to two dreaded outfits – Jaish-ul-Islam (JuI) and Khalid bin Walid Force (KWF). They owed their allegiance to Riaz Basra who had broken up with Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), and formed the LeJ in 1996. Basra was killed in a reported police shootout, in 2002.

The areas of operations were divided, as under an arrangement KWF was tasked to operate in Quetta city while the JuI was supposed to carry out sectarian attacks in the outskirts, particularly in Mastung.

The two militants Farooq Bungalzai and Habibullah Zehri were controlling the LeJ affairs in Balochistan under the direct command of Barsa. Meanwhile, a local toll tax collector named Usman Saifullah Kurd joined the gang and shot to prominence because of his close contacts with Malik Ishaq, who had co-founded LeJ along with Basra and Akram Lahori.

The LeJ central command had asked Kurd to lead JuI along with Habibur Rehman Rind. The two militants unleashed a reign of terror in the entire province.

The KWF, which was supposed to target Hazaras and others in the city of Quetta, was headed by Abdul Sattar Karbalai and Ziaul Haq Shinwari.

Kurd was killed in February, 2015, in a clash with paramilitary troops, in the vicinity of Quetta’s infamous Sariab Road. While his killing caused a major blow to LeJ operations in Balochistan it also led to the creation of several small sectarian groups.

Kurd and Shafiqur Rehman Rind (brother of Mehmood Rind) had once been arrested and confessed the masterminding of dozens of attacks on Hazaras and Shia pilgrims. But in 2008, both of them managed to escape from prison.

The first high profile act of terror orchestrated by Zehri, Rind and Kurd was the attack on an Ashura procession in 2004. More than 40 people were killed and over 100 injured in that attack. Three main characters who ensured its execution were Rind, Karbalai and Shinwari.

Security forces killed Karbalai, in 2014 and both Shinwari and Rind were arrested after years of hectic efforts. A source said the six-feet tall Shinwari was the most dreaded killer, who now faces trial at the military court. Later on, Zehri was also captured.

The arrests and killings of the top commanders eliminated KWF from Quetta city. However, it did not cause plausible damage to the structure of JuI that was operating in the outskirts. In fact, the JuI survived as a face of the LeJ in Balochistan.

Sources said that after the recent crackdown against the sectarian outfits, many of their operatives fled to Koh-Mehran and Qabu – the bordering areas of Kalat and Mastung. According to intelligence reports more or less 10 Ferrari camps were being operated in those areas.

The intelligence reports also pointed out a close connection with Baloch separatist organisations and sectarian outfits. The operatives of sectarian outfits including Sarfraz Bungalzai, Shah Bux, Abdul Nabi and Farooq Bungalzai were found colluding with the United Baloch Army, the Baloch Republican Army and the Baloch Liberation Army.

Sources said a cousin of Farooq Bungalzai was running terror camps in Koh Mehran areas, but security forces had not yet prepared a plan to launch a cleansing operation over there.

Meanwhile, several key leaders of sectarian outfits had gone underground in other provinces, particularly in Sindh.

Intelligence reports say several small but lethal sectarian groups also surfaced, which primarily recruited operatives from the JuI and KWF. Among them the most lethal group was identified as Pehelwan Group. Some of the key operatives the law enforcement agencies either arrested or killed included Haq Nawaz, Zahid Rehman, Ammanullah and Abid.

The sectarian outfits not only attracted people from seminaries or poor background, they lured a number of educated youngsters.

Dr Umair is an example. He was a university graduate and involved in a number of target killings. He remained out of the radar of the intelligence agencies for a long time. Sources said once two street criminals tried to snatch his motorbike. He resisted and received multiple bullet injuries. He not only survived the attack, he killed both the attackers like a sharp shooter.

When the intelligence agencies started probing the incident, they came to know his real identity. He used to maintain a close connection with Kabir Shakir, who was said to be representing ASWJ in Balochistan.

The intelligence agencies received credible reports that Al-Qaeda in the Indian sub-continent (AQIS) recently reached an understanding with the JuI to supply it with finances and suicide bombers.

Sources said that at the moment one Mufti Hidayatullah was leading the JuI, as the law enforcement agencies were trying hard to locate and arrest him.