Daily Times News University attackers identified: army

PESHAWAR: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Asim Bajwa on Wednesday said major breakthroughs had been made in identifying the terrorists who attacked the Bacha Khan University. The ISPR chief said the terrorists’ phone calls had been traced and analysed, and that two cell phones had also been recovered from them. “When army reached the premises, all four attackers were alive. They were contained in the hostel and were eventually eliminated on the roof and the stairs,” informed the ISPR chief. They had a lot of ammo, including grenades, he added. “Their call logs were analysed and an intelligence picture was established, with most data having been collected,” said Lt Gen Bajwa, adding that forensics and fingerprints of the attackers had been shared with National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), adding that “an intelligence picture is also being created with input from NADRA.” “We have gathered almost all relevant data on who they (attackers) were, from where they came and who supported them.” But the ISPR chief said the information is “sensitive” and is being “processed and updated,” which will be shared with the public later. “We cleared the sanctuaries of terrorists after which certain people crossed the border towards Afghanistan and are operating from there. That aspect is also under investigation,” he maintained. Bajwa said terrorists were getting instructions from outside and were receiving calls. “They (terrorists) are targeting symbols of progress.” The ISPR chief said, “As long as the facilitators and financiers of terrorists are present, they can carry out an attack at any place and time. What matters is how we respond to this as a nation.” Intelligence-based operations (IBOs) are being carried out to hunt down the facilitators of the terrorists involved in Charsadda attack, he said. Briefing newsmen about the gruesome terror attack, Bajwa said four terrorists attacked the university. They were using two mobile phones with Afghan SIMs on which calls were received from different locations, including Afghanistan.