https://arab.news/rxdc6
- Police say Syed Ali Raza Naqvi belonged to Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, had made contact with ‘Iran-backed’ Brigade
- Brigade was placed on US Treasury’s financial blacklist in January 2019, comprises Pakistani Shias fighting in Syria and Iran
KARACHI: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Pakistani port city of Karachi said on Thursday police had arrested a member of the banned Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan militant organization who was suspected of being in contact with militants from the ‘Iran-backed’ Zainebiyoun Brigade in Syria.
The Brigade was placed on the US Treasury’s financial blacklist in January 2019 and comprises Pakistani Shias fighting in Syria and Iran.
“Syed Ali Raza Naqvi was arrested from the Islamic Research Center in the Aysha Manzil area of the city,” Israr Awam, an officer at the counterterrorism department, told Arab News, saying the suspect had a history of visiting several countries including Iran, Iraq and Syria. “He is associated with the proscribed Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan and had been in contact with boys of Zainebiyoun in Syria.”
There have been a series of arrests in Pakistan recently of people with suspected links to the Zainabiyoun Brigade.
In January this year, Pakistan said it had arrested a “most wanted” militant linked to the Brigade.
In December 2020, the CTD said it had arrested two members of the Brigade from the Qur’angi area of Karachi. CTD chief Omar Shahid said the arrests were part of police and intelligence agencies’ investigations into the recent killing of a religious cleric, Maulana Adil Khan, in Karach.
On Nov 27, 2020, an AP report said a number of Pakistanis were among 19 pro-Iran militia fighters killed in eastern Syria.
Tehran has not responded to any of the arrests in Pakistan.