ISLAMABAD: One of the leading intelligence agencies has thwarted a major terror plot aimed at launching a deadly assault on the strategically vital PAF Masroor Airbase in Karachi, sources from the intelligence community revealed.
According to officials, the complex plan was masterminded by a commander of the Afghanistan-based terror group Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK), who leads the group’s notorious suicide squad.
The plot involved nine heavily trained terrorists — five of whom were Afghan nationals — led by a high-profile FAK commander .
The terrorists, who had recently infiltrated Pakistan from Afghanistan, intended to breach the airbase through a pre-identified point, seize control of the facility, destroy aircraft and infrastructure, and hold the base for as long as possible. Their goal was to inflict maximum damage and engage in a prolonged gunbattle until death.
The operation was reportedly under direct supervision of FAK’s top leadership based in Afghanistan and involved nearly thirteen months of planning.
The terrorists had taken up accommodation near the airbase and conducted extensive reconnaissance of the area.
However, the intelligence agency had been closely monitoring their movements. When the attackers were about to initiate the final phase of their plot, the agency launched a swift, covert, and coordinated operation, arresting the suspects from various locations across the country.
The agency’s action not only protected the strategic airbase but also crippled a key FAK terror network involved in several previous attacks — including the November 2024 assault on Chinese engineers at Liberty Textile Mills in Karachi’s SITE area.
