Three arrested in Peshawar linked to suicide attack at Shia mosque in Pakistan's capital
Islamabad/Peshawar (PTI): Pakistan's police have arrested two men and a woman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Peshawar linked to a suicide attack at a Shia mosque in Islamabad on Friday.
At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at Khadijah al-Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, in one of the worst terror attacks targeting the community in recent years.
A police official said that during the operation late on Friday night, two brothers of the alleged suicide bomber and a woman were arrested and interrogation is currently underway.
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According to investigation officials, an identity card recovered from them helped establish the attacker’s identity as Yasir.
Official records show that his permanent address was Abbas Colony, Shiro Jangi, Charsadda Road, Peshawar, while his temporary residence was in Ganj Mohalla Qaziyan, Peshawar.
Investigators have also revealed that prior to the Islamabad suicide bombing, the attacker had remained in Afghanistan for approximately five months where he allegedly received formal training in weapons handling and suicide attacks.
Following this disclosure, investigation agencies have shifted their focus toward identifying and dismantling the network operating behind the attack.
Police officials stated that further raids are being conducted in Peshawar and Nowshera to identify potential facilitators and contacts.
Authorities emphasised that the investigation into the Islamabad suicide bombing is being carried out from all angles, and additional evidence is expected to surface, which may help clarify the full scope of the terrorist incident.
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Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat
Washington (AP): Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration's war in Iran.
Kent said on social media Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
As head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats.
Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.
Still, Republicans praised Kent's counterterrorism qualifications, pointing to his military and intelligence experience.
Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a floor speech that Kent had "dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”
