One of the country’s premium intelligence agencies has thwarted a major terror plan masterminded by a commander of the Afghanistan-based terror group Fitna al-Khawarij, aimed at carrying out a deadly assault on the strategically important Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Masroor Airbase in Karachi, The News reported today (Friday). 

 

As per the report, the plan was led by a high-profile FAK commander who is already wanted in multiple terrorism cases. The plot involved nine highly trained terrorists, including five Afghan nationals.

 

The terrorists, who had recently infiltrated Pakistan from Afghanistan, planned to infiltrate the airbase through a pre-selected entry point, take control of the facility, destroy aircraft and infrastructure, and hold the base for as long as possible. They aimed to cause maximum damage and engage in a prolonged gun battle until death, the report claims.

 

The operation was reportedly under the 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 carried out extensive surveillance of the area to prepare for the attack.

 

The report further claimed that the agency launched a swift, covert, and coordinated operation the moment the assaulters were about to begin the final phase of their plot, arresting the suspects from various locations nationwide, as the intelligence agency had been closely monitoring their movements. 

 

The agency 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. The same FAK commander captured in the current operation is believed to have masterminded that attack before fleeing to Afghanistan.

 

Authorities describe him as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) expert, trained in Afghanistan and a former militant alongside the Afghan Taliban during their conflict with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces.

 

Preliminary investigations suggest the involvement of hostile intelligence agencies, allegedly providing funding and equipping terrorist elements in a bid to destabilize Pakistan. Officials also referenced a similar terror plot foiled last October in which FAK and the hostile agencies had conspired to sabotage a major international event in Islamabad.

 

Despite such threats, Pakistan’s armed forces, intelligence services, and law enforcement agencies remain steadfast in their mission to protect the nation. Officials reaffirmed their commitment to rooting out terrorism in all its forms and safeguarding national security through coordinated, relentless vigilance.