JAMSHORO – The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Hyderabad has arrested three high-profile members of the banned Sindhu Desh Revolutionary Army (SRA) during a targeted intelligence-led operation in Jamshoro district, officials confirmed on Friday.

According to CTD investigators, the suspects were actively planning bombings and targeted killings in Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh. Weapons, explosives, and bomb-making materials were seized during the raid, including a hand grenade, detonators, a remote-control device, and prohibited firearms.

Terror Group with History of Violence

The SRA, a Sindhi separatist outfit outlawed in 2020 under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act, has been linked to attacks on railway infrastructure, cargo transport routes, and security personnel in the province. Along with the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-Aresar (JSQM-A) and Sindhu Desh Liberation Army (SLA), the group has been accused of destabilizing efforts and carrying out sabotage operations in southern Pakistan.

Officials said the arrested men admitted involvement in multiple attacks, including bombings along railway tracks and assaults on law enforcement. One of them reportedly confessed that his cell had been given at least 14 “assignments,” targeting police officers and planning blasts in Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Kotri, and nearby areas.

Recent Plots and Foreign Funding Links

Investigators revealed that the group had recently planted two remote-controlled explosives near Hyderabad — one on August 18 and another on August 28. Both plots were foiled, with the second bomb defused in Latifabad before it could detonate.

The CTD said interrogation also exposed a foreign funding pipeline: money was allegedly funneled from SRA leaders abroad through informal Hawala and Hundi networks. The detainees were reportedly recruiting local youth to expand the group’s operational network in Sindh.

Authorities believe the suspects were preparing a fresh wave of attacks, including a major strike planned for September 6.

Growing Focus on Sindh-Based Militancy

The arrests follow CTD’s recent announcement that it had uncovered a network tied to India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), allegedly using Sindh-based separatists to carry out assassinations, including the targeted killing of a social worker in Badin.

Security forces have stepped up operations in Sindh in recent months, arresting several SRA operatives, including one captured in April in Shaheed Benazirabad district. Officials say the latest arrests are part of a broader crackdown aimed at dismantling separatist militant networks in the province.