Paper Tahir Saeen Group: higher-degree militants Farhan Zahid Dr. Farhan Zahid is an expert of counter-terrorism and Islamist militant groups in Pakistan. His book Roots of Islamic Violent Activism in South Asia was published in 2014. n May 13, a group of militants in sectarian bloodbath, its involvement O police uniforms intercepted a seemed plausible. bus near Safoora Goth, a suburb of Karachi near Karachi University. The As police progressed in its bus was carrying minority Ismaili investigation, the ISIS connection got Shias.1 Six of them entered the bus, weakened. Instead, some members of one of them over the driver’s seat and the attackers were in contact with another guarded the vehicle door. Ayman Al-Zawahiri, leader of Al- The other four started indiscriminate Qaeda, which didn’t endorse ISIS’s firing for 10 to 12 minutes.2 Forty claim of militant caliphate. What’s three people were killed in the more, it emerged that the cell that massacre.3 carried out the attack was linked to AQ’s branch in the Indian No one could deny the involvement subcontinent, Al-Qaeda in Sub- of sectarian groups in the killing. continent (AQIS), formed recently to What wasn’t clear was the exact ward off ISIS’s luring of South Asia’s group behind the attack. militant groups.5 Initial reports pointed towards the A police officer said the accused involvement of Islamic State in Iraq militants established their own group and Syria, popularly known by its in 2014 without naming it. Hence, it acronym ISIS or Arabic translation was referred by the cell leader’s Daish. The group’s sworn ally in name, Tahir Saeen, who ordered Pakistan, Jundullah, based in most of the terrorist activities. His Karachi, was quick to claim second-in-command Saad Aziz, aka responsibility of the attack.4 The Tun Tun or John, masterminded perpetrators of the attacks had also many attacks. The cell’s activities dropped leaflets of the ISIS at the largely revolved around them. spot, displaying their affection to it. Investigators found that the two, like Perhaps because ISIS indulges in many other of the cell’s members, hailed from diverse socio-economic 1 Ismailism is a branch of Shia Islam and 3 Imtiaz Ali, “43 killed in attack on bus commonly known as Seveners which carrying Ismailis in Karachi,” Dawn, May means unlike traditional Shias who 14, 2015. believe in 12 Imams (faith leaders) the 4Faraz Khan, “Macabre violence: Ugly Ismailis believe in seven. face of terror,” Express Tribune, May 14, 2 Salis bin Perwaiz, “Safoora Goth 2015. attackers were inspired by IS,” The News 5 Hafeez Tunio, “Arrested Safoora Goth International, July 2, 2015, attack mastermind behind Sabeen’s http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays- murder,” Express Tribune, May 20, 2015. News-4-326642-Safoora-Goth-attackers- were-inspired-b. Paper backgrounds with sound educational Members of the group were trained credentials. in bomb manufacture, assassinations, reconnaissance, counter intelligence Anatomy of the cell and counter interrogation. Part of their ‘expertise’ owes to their high The Tahir Saeen group has all the technical education, including in traits of a classic terrorist group: few engineering. Strikingly, their leader members but high expertise. Tahir was a high school dropout. The group, which was involved in orchestrating more than 15 terrorist attacks in Karachi, has never more than 15-20 members. That was one reason why the cell remained out of the radar of police and other security agencies for a very long period of time. Cell Educational Expertise member background 1 Abdul B. Sc. Engineering Rehman from N.E.D Shujaat Engineering University, Karachi 2 Saad Aziz BBA from Institute of Dealt with Business propaganda; Administration, translated material, Karachi managed pro- 3 Azhar Ishrat B.Sc. Electronic Expertjihadism in Albomb- Engineering from Sir makingRashidun magazine Syed University, Karachi 4 Tahir Matriculate Group’s leader, Minhas involved in planning and executing terror plots 5 Hafiz Nasir Masters in Islamic Involved in planning Studies from and executing terror University of Karachi plots 6 Asadur Graduate Rehman 153 Tahir Saeen Group: Higher-Degree Militants The cell was assisted by one female and ISIS’s philosophy, was carried by collaborator Saadia, who is still at the Tahir group, too. large. According to police sources Saadia is wife of a local Al-Qaeda The cell members, following the commander and was tasked for cardinal principle of plausible recruitment of potential jihadis.1 deniability among terror outfits, Some of the other assailants are at deliberately did not know each still not apprehended. other’s real name. Instead, they called each other through aliases. What bound these myriad The group was quite careful in individuals together was strong recruiting new members. That was ideology, reflective in their hatred of one reason the group swelled to a the West and minorities. handful of members during its life span. Some say the cell’s members were either linked to AQ or inspired by it. Subsequent investigations found that Others say the cell wanted to affiliate each one of cell members had with the ISIS.2According to some participated in the Safoora Goth experts, the cell members might be attack, having worked for months on affiliated with Al-Qaeda but because the possibilities of targeting the of the growing popularity of ISIS in community service bus. According to jihadi circles they had ambitions to police, the cell members planned and network their cell with rehearsed for two months and visited ISIS.3Apparently, the cell members the location seven times. They kept were part of Al-Qaeda’s sleeper monitoring the bus passing through network, as at least one member the same route, over and over, and (Tahir Minhas) had personally met finally prepared a map with circling AQ’s top leaders in Afghanistan. points of deployment of cell members. Still, what is established is the group’s belief in the notion of tafkir, The equipment recovered from cell declaring other Muslims apostate. members included TT pistols, That notion, evident in both AQ’s Kalashnikovs, laptops, explosive material, jihad literature, and hit lists of media personnel, fashion 1“Probe reveals involvement of female 2 Imtiaz Ali, “IS-inspired militants behind terror suspect in group behind Safoora Safoora carnage, Sabeen Mahmud incident,” Such TV, June 3, 2015, murder,” Dawn, July 1, 2015. http://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/sindh 3 Author’s interview with Amir Rana, /item/23998-probe-reveals- expert on terrorism and security issues, involvement-of-female-terror-suspect-in- Islamabad. group-behind-safoora-incident.html. 154 Paper designers, NGO workers, and law An odd leader enforcement agencies personnel.4 Safoora Goth attack was the Although the group came under the brainchild of cell’s leader Tahir radar after the Safoora Goth incident, Minhas, who apparently seemed an it had masterminded several other odd element in the cell: he hailed attacks in Karachi in recent months from Punjab, unlike many others including targeted assassination of who came from Karachi; and being a NGO worker Sabeen Mehmud in simple matriculate, he was the least April 2015; firing and critically educated of other members. Yet, he wounding American Professor Dr was the cell’s main planner, founder, Debra Lobo in April 2015; suicide and lynchpin. The cell he founded attack on Brigadier Basit of Sindh was in fact known by his name, Tahir Rangers in February 2015 (Brigadier Saeen group.7 Basit narrowly escaped while four others were injured in the attack); Tahir had earlier worked for AQIS grenade attacks on private co- under Jalal, a cousin of Ramzi education institutes in February and Yousaf, the main perpetrator of 1993 March 2015; targeted killing of some World Trade Center bombing, workers of secular political party disclosed a senior Karachi police Muttahida Quami Movement officer.8 Even now, investigators (MQM) and members of Bohra found, Jalal cell of AQ exists, most community;5 and bomb attacks on probably in Baloch-populated Lyari police patrolling parties and targeted area of Karachi. Tahir Saeen formed killing of police personnel in at least his own cell, after breaking from Jalal five different locations in the city.6 cell.9 Tahir’s connections with Al-Qaeda dated back to 1990s. Much before the 9/11 attacks, he visited Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, where, besides getting trained at AQ-run camps, he 4 Hafeez Tunio, “Arrested Safoora attack 6HafeezTunio, “Arrested Safoora Goth mastermind behind Sabeer’s murder: mastermind behind Sabeen’s murder.” Sindh CM,” Express Tribune, May 20, 7 Salis bin Perwaiz, “Safoora Goth 2015. attackers were inspired by IS,” The News 5 “Umar Kaathio Al-Qaeda Sindh's head, International, June 2, 2015. reveal Safoora terrorists,” Dunya News, 8 Ibid. June 22, 2015, 9 Imtiaz Ali, “Safoora bus attack suspects http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pa wanted to establish their links with IS,” kistan/285507-Umar-Kaathio-AlQaeda- Dawn, July 2, 2015, Sindhs-head-reveal-Safoora. http://www.dawn.com/news/1191674. 155 Tahir Saeen Group: Higher-Degree Militants personally met AQ’s leader Osama coming close to police. According to Bin Laden and ideologue Ayman al- Karachi police, Tahir has been Zawahiri several times.10 involved in terrorist activities since 1998 and acquired special expertise A veteran jihadi, Tahir was in contact in using Rocket Propelled Grenade with AQ’s Pakistani leaders, (RPG). including the emir of Sindh province, Umar Kaathio, a resident of Kotri After the Safoora Goth attacks, he district. Minhas says that he joined was finally arrested from Al-Qaeda on Kaathio’s advice.11 The Bahawalpur, southern Punjab.14 two had even worked in Hyderabad district. Second-in-command It was in Hyderabad that Tahir Saad Aziz, a Karachite, was highly started colluding with Saad Aziz, educated, with upper-class-urban and launched terror attacks at police family background.