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November 18, 2005
Pakistan: Three Separatists Confess to Karachi Fried Chicken bombing
We reported earlier on the bomb blast outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Karachi, which killed three people, two of whom were guards outside the nearby Muslim Commercial Bank, and which killed a pedestrian. Fifteen passers by were also injured, six critically.
Yesterday, three members of the Baluch Liberation Army (BLA) were arrested. The men, according to Boston News were named by Mazoor Mughal, deputy inspector general of police, as Aziz Khan Baloch, Mangla Baloch and Jabbar Baloch.
Mughal stated that the men were taken during a raid upon their hideout in a middle class neighbourhood of Karachi. During the raid, two pistols, a rifle and explosive material were recovered. The men confessed, and were remanded in custody to appear before the judiciary on November 24.
Today, the Pakistan Daily Times announces that although the explosion happened outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet, the real aim of the attack appears to have been the offices of a Petroleum company, whose offices were housed in the same building as the KFC restaurant.
State-run Pakistan Petroleum Limited taps a large natural gas field in the southwestern province of Baluchistan. The citizens of the province live with few luxuries, and the Baluch Liberation Army aims to use terror tactics in its quest to break away from the rest of Pakistan.
Many of the activities of the BLA in Baluchistan involve blowing up gas pipes and setting off bombs and rocket attacks at establishment targets, states Baloch Voice. Many of Baluchistan's are native Pashtuns, and as such share kinship with others across the Afghan border. It also borders Iran. An account of its militant history can be found in Global Security.org.
The leader of the bomb-trio was Aziz Khan. Mughal said that the three were caught while trying to escape in a car. As well as the explosives material, a grenade and two Kalashnikovs were found at their base. A police spokesman announced that following leads provided by a "key suspect", about a dozen people were arrested in subsequent raids. One of those detained is a policeman.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 18, 2005 3:07 PM
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