Terrorist behind massacre of foreign climbers held in Pak

A senior Taliban commander and his accomplice have been arrested for an attack at a base camp of Nanga Parbat that killed 10 foreign climbers and their Pakistani guide, officials said on Thursday.

Younis Dagha, Chief Secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan, said terrorist Qaribullah alias Hasan was arrested at Chilas. He is a former leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan unit in Chilas.

The police arrested Qaribullah and his henchman Mohammad Nabi alias Qari Hasnain at Thak, located in the suburbs of Chilas. Superintendent of Police Mohammed Navi told PTI that Hasan had confessed to the killing of two army officers and a police officer but was yet to say anything on the killing of the climbers.

Media reports said Hasan is suspected to be the mastermind of the June 23 attack that killed 10 foreign mountaineers and their guide.

The climbers and their guide were gunned down by terrorists disguised as paramilitary personnel at a base camp of Nanga Parbat. The attack was claimed by both the TTP and the Jundullah sectarian extremist group.

The raid that killed five Ukrainians, three Chinese and a Russian was one of the worst attacks on foreigners in Pakistan in a decade. The incident led to an international uproar and the government took steps to increase security for tourists in the area.

A few days after the attack, terrorists killed two Pakistan army officers and the SSP of Diamer, who were investigating the massacre of the foreign climbers.