Peshawar school massacre: 5 detainees being probed

KABUL (Pajhwok): Five men detained for their alleged involvement in a deadly attack on an army-run school in Peshawar are currently being investigated by Afghan security forces, an official confirmed on Saturday.

Based on actionable intelligence from Pakistan, Afghan forces arrested the five suspects in an eastern province last week. The December 16 attack killed more than 150 people, mostly students, and wounded over 250 others.

Pakistani intelligence agencies shared information with Afghan authorities regarding the presence of the suspected attackers in Afghanistan. The suspects had been in contact with the attackers over the telephone and their conversations led to their arrests.

Last week, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar met his Afghan counterpart and President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on concrete joint action against terrorists.

Kabul assured the spymaster the Afghan administration would act to nab those involved in terror activities in Pakistan. It was the second visit of the ISI chief to Kabul in the last three weeks.

A security official, who did not want to be named, confided to Pajhwok Afghan News Gen. Rizwan had shared the names of the five Pakistanis and their whereabouts in Afghanistan with the authorities in Kabul.

Following their arrests in special operations, the men are being investigated for their alleged role in the deadly assault, according to the source, who refused to provide further details.

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