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Imran Sarbanri better known as Latif is a terrorist group leader from Pakistan that was being hunted by Section 20 in Season 2. Latif was the mastermind behind Operation Project Dawn, a coordinated terrorist attack on Western Europe and the United States.

A shrewd and cunning man, Latif managed to at first trick Section 20 into thinking he was a senior member of the Pakistani Intelligence Service. Whilst all the time, being the very man that Section 20 was hunting down. He successfully managed to developed an army of terrorists with Chemical WMDs surgically implanted into their bodies to carry out deadly attacks across Europe and North America.

His plan Project Dawn was ultimately thwarted by Section 20 but it cost the lives of Sergeant John Porter, Captain Kate Marshall and legendary commanding officer Colonel Eleanor Grant all members of Section 20, along with hundreds of innocent people across the world.

Project Dawn[]

John Porter’s Death

Latif and his terrorist organisation are being hunted by Section 20, an unofficial British Intelligence Organisation tasked with finding Latif and bringing down his network.

Section 20 had discovered that Latif was planning a massive attack on British, American and Western citizens around the world, code named Operation Project Dawn. Section 20 Commanding Officer: Colonel Eleanor Grant and her Second in Command: Major Oliver Sinclair had tasked John Porter to infiltrate Latif’s organisation to uncover intel on Project Dawn and the nature of the attack. However, Porter was compromised and captured by Latif’s men. Porter is forced on live video to read out a message from Latif, demanding the release of all oppressed prisoners being held in British and American prisons. Warning failure to do so, would result in Porter being sacrificed for ‘just’ retribution. However, a botch attempt by Section 20 led by Sergeant Michael Stonebridge and Captain Kate Marshall to rescue Porter fails, and results in one member of the assault team being killed in Lahore, Pakistan.

With no leads on Latif’s whereabouts or any new intel on Project Dawn. Colonel Grant tasks Stonebridge with finding Sergeant Damien Scott an ex Specialist Commando of the American Delta Force. Who is believed to have known Porter in the past, plus is believed to have worked with Porter alongside Latif in Afghanistan and can possibly identify him.

Stonebridge successfully retrieves Scott from Malaysia and brings him back to London to meet Grant and the rest of Section 20. Scott confirms with the team that Latif was a former ISI agent for the Pakistani Intelligence. But before Section 20 could use Scott’s knowledge of Latif to help rescue Porter, another video was posted by Latif’s men executing Porter.

With Porter KIA, the team looks for a new lead to Latif. After rewatching the execution, Scott discovers that before his death Porter sends a code whilst reading the last message Latif’s men forced him to read out. During his last words, Porter mentioned in his code Project Dawn and the Royal Lotus Hotel in India. With this new lead, Grant orders the team to relocate to India to investigate this new development.

Siege of the Royal Lotus Hotel

In New Delhi, India, the team are joined in the newly established Command Centre by Major Jamal Ashkani of the Pakistani ISI Intelligence Service who Section 20 believes could help assist with finding Latif. Scott and Stonebridge check in at the Royal Lotus Hotel as tourists, with Marshall providing support outside. Whilst the team begin using facial recognition to identify Latif or any known associates inside the hotel, Stonebridge spots a group of men enter the hotel and radios Marshall for back up. As Marshall enters the hotel one of the men takes out a M19 Pistol from his bag and shots a member of the hotel Security Team who asked to see inside the man’s bag. Seconds later, the rest of the group pull out AK-47 automatic assault rifles and open fire on everyone inside the lobby of the hotel. Scott, who happened to be inside one of the hotel rooms entertaining one of the female members of staff, hears the occurring gunfire and kills two gunman who attempted to enter his room.

During the shooting inside the lobby, Stonebridge yells at Marshall to run. She manages to escape the lobby and take cover outside the entrance to the hotel. Just before the armed assailants shut and lock all the doors leading in and out of the hotel. With the terrorists now in control of the hotel, they round up all remaining hostages into the lobby including Stonebridge, who updates Grant and the rest of the team back in the Command Centre on his hidden transmitter.

With the hotel now in their control, the terrorists begin setting up explosives on the Lobby doors and begin checking all the guests details on the hotel’s computer. Meanwhile, outside Marshall watches as the Indian Army, and Police arrive onsite, also with members of the Press setting up to report the incident live. Stonebridge warns Marshall over the radio that the terrorists are setting up IEDs at the entrances. After seeing the commanding officer of the Indian Army Major General Kohli arrive onsite to coordinate the task force. Marshall advices Grant back in the Control Room that now might be the right time for them to revel their presence.

As Scott battles the terrorists inside the hotel, attempted to help a child and another female hotel guest to get to safety. Marshall brings Major General Kohli to the Section 20 Command Centre to meet Colonel Grant. Kohli is at first hesitant to accept Grants offer to help and is distrustful and critical of Major Askani and the Pakistani Government, scolding the Major for not doing his job properly and allowing the terrorists to launch their attack. After threatening to shutting down the unauthorised operation and placing everyone under arrest, Grant manages to convince the General to work together as they have two operatives inside the hotel who could be of use to him.

After executing one of the hostages, Stonebridge breaks cover and manages to escape the lobby and kill two of the terrorists, two other hostages from the lobby, an employee and another guest escape with him. All three of them manage to link up with Scott who left a child and another hotel guest safe in one of the rooms whilst he went looking for a way out. Stonebridge informs Grant back in the control room that he has linked up with Scott and the woman who Scott rescued might possibly be the target Mahmood who Latif is looking for. However, just after informing this new intel to Grant, the group gets ambushed and surrounded by the terrorists and the male guest who escaped with Stonebridge from the lobby revels himself to be working with the terrorists. Identifying himself as Latif. He removed Stonebridge’s hidden transmitter and destroys it, cutting off all communications with him and the Command Centre.

The terrorist leader shots the hotel employee and then demands Scott to take them to where he is hiding the other two guests. Meanwhile back in the control room, Grant asks Major Askani to tell them everything he knows about the target known as ‘Mahmood’. Askani informs the team that Mahmood was a code name for a weapons scientist who leaked secrets to the ISI for over a decade about WMDs in Iraq. Askani tells the team that the weapons were taken out of country just before the Iraq War began. The weapons included Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Radiological. Mahmood reached out to the Pakistani Intelligence asking for protection in exchange for more information. Askani was on his way to meet Mahmood in the Royal Lotus Hotel and take Mahmood into custody. But got the call by Grant to meet Section 20 instead, making him miss his rendezvous.

Back in hotel, Scott leads the terrorists to the room where he is keeping the two other guests. But before the terrorists could take them hostage, Scott and Stonebridge break free from the terrorists killing and disarming two of them and escape again with the two other guests with Scott getting shot in the leg in the process. When the terrorists try to chase Scott and Stonebridge across the main hotel balcony, snipers from the Indian Army stationed in buildings adjacent to the hotel shot and kill one of the terrorists who stepped outside onto the balcony. Keeping the terrorists pinned down and allowing Scott and Stonebridge to escape with the two other guests.

Scott and Stonebridge manage to hide in one of the hotel rooms with the two guests. After Stonebridge helps remove the bullet from Scott’s leg. The two men then interrogate the female guest on who she really is and why are these terrorists after her. At first protesting her innocence, after pressure from Scott and Stonebridge she claims that Mahmood is her husband. The group then set off to try and find a way out of the hotel.

After reaching the basement, Stonebridge uses a mobile phone taken from the dead hotel staff member that Scott had been with earlier that evening to call Grant back in the Control Room. He briefs Grant that they have someone with them claiming to be Mahmoods wife, called Dr. Iman Zubedah. Askani immediately recognises the name and the team in the control room run checks to confirm who she is. Askani says that she was born in Britain and moved to Pakistan back in 1990 where she became a research scientist working for a Dr Quadeer Khan on Pakistan’s weapons programme. Marshall, Sinclair and Askani agree that she must be Mahmood. Shortly after finding out this new information Grant asks Stonebridge if Zubedah is still with him, but before Stonebridge confirms over the phone he looks around and realises the woman has absconded. Scott and Stonebridge then try to find her, with Scott stopping her from escaping in an elevator. After calming her down, the woman tells Scott that she knows what happened to the weapons that were suppose to be planted in Iraq just before the invasion began. She informs Scott that the plot to plant the weapons was aborted just before the eve of the invasion and the reason why she is being hunted by Latif is because she has known all along who took those weapons and hid them. Scott tells Zubedah that she needed to come Ith him and if what she says is true, the British and Americans will protect her.

Back outside the hotel, General Kohli begins moving his men into position, in preparation to storm and retake the hotel. As Scott heads back to the little girl left at the bottom of the basement stairs with Zubedah, they are immediately captured again by the terrorists with Stonebridge still not back from looking for Zubedah.

As the terrorists take Scott, Zubedah and the little girl down to the lobby. Stonebridge arrives back qt the bottom of the stairs to the basement to find that Scott, Zubedah and the girl are no where to be found. The terrorist leader Latif then orders his second in command Shabbir who has been guarding and executing the hostages in the lobby, to wait until sunrise for the Indian army to storm the hotel and then blow the whole building up taking as many casualties as possible with them, in a final suicidal act. Whilst he escapes with Zubedah.

Stonebridge phones Grant and tells her that Scott and Zubedah are missing. Grant orders him to find Zubedah and not worry Scott, she is the priority. Stonebridge suggests that Latif must know that the Indian Army are going to attempt to retake the hotel, and he must have ab escape route planned. Grant tells him to find it.

Whilst Stonebridge pursues Latif and his henchmen, Scott watches in the lobby as the terrorists prepare more explosives for Indian Army’s assault. He asked one of the henchmen if he could take the little girl to the toilets. But is interrupted by one of the hostages who gets up and starts slandering the second in command for desecrating his God and the religion he claims to serve.

Meanwhile back in the basement, Stonebridge has caught back up with Latif, Zubedah and his henchmen. Before he could engage, the mobile phone he has rings and alerts Latif’s men. As the head over to the source of the noice Stonebridge engages and kills Latif’s bodyguards and Latif himself before he could escape with Zubedah.

Back in the lobby, Scott pleads with the young gunman to allow him to take the girl to the toilet again. The young gunman asks Shabbir if that is ok, which he reply’s by shrugging his shoulders. The gunman orders one of the terrorists to go with Scott to watch him. As Scott goes into the toilets the guard waits outside, Scott tells the little girls to crouch down really tight and not to move. He then heads back over to the door and kicks it down, stunning the guard outside. Scott then sprints over to Shabbir and knocks him over and pulls out the plugs connected to the his detonator switch disabling all the explosives in the lobby. At the same time , the Indian Army assault teams begin their attack, breaching the doors and eliminating all the terrorists. As the Shabbir goes to shot Scott, the young gunman shots Shabbir before he can open fire. Showing that he didn’t agree with his merciless executions. As Scott looks at the young boy in surprise, the Indian Soldiers move in and shots and kill the boy as he is holding an weapon. The second in command mortally wounded, then grabs a pair of pliers and cuts the wire holding the massive explosive shell that the terrorists connected to the top of the lobby, sending the shell falling down. But before it could hit the ground, Stonebridge rushes into the lobby and grabs the shell before it could hit the ground. Preventing it from blowing up.

With the siege lifted, all the hostages are taken outside. Scott and Stonebridge escort Zubedah and reunite the little girl with her mother. Grant, Marshall, Sinclair and Ashkani the arrive and greet the three of them. Grant congratulates Scott and Stonebridge for a job well done and introduces herself to Zubedah. Whilst Marshall takes Scott away to get him treated for his wounds. Grant also introduces Major Ashkani to Zubedah and says he is here to guarantee her safety. Ashkani apologies for missing their appointment with Zubedah also apologising for missing it too. Ashkani then takes Zubedah away to be checked out by the medics. Stonebridge informs Grant that Latif has been dealt with.

Grant goes into the hotel basement and sees Latif’s body for herself, as clean up and intelligence teams begin gathering evidence in the hotel. Grant is then joined by General Kohli, Kohli informs Grant that he is glad for her that she completed her mission and eliminated Latif. As Grant asks about him, Kohli informs her that with twelve hostages dead, along with three of his men, his mission will not go down as a success the same as Grants has. He predicts a critical response in the press for his handling of the situation, a denouncement from the politicians and potentially forced into retirement. But when Grants asks about his conscience, he says that it is clear. Back outside the hotel, Grant watches as Ashkani helps Zubedah into a car and asks him what will happen to her now. Ashkani tells Grant that she will be taken to an Indian Army Facility for questioning and that he will share everything that they learn from her. The two then shake hands and the Major replies that ‘it’s been a pleasure Colonel’ before leaving.

Revealing himself as Latif

Back in the Command Centre, Section 20 begin to debrief and Scott talks to Grant about potential permanent employment with Section 20. However, whilst doing some background checks on the man they suspected to be Latif, Sergeant Julia Richmond discovers that the man who was the terrorist leader inside the Royal Lotus Hotel was not Latif according to the GCHQ Database. The database claims the dead terrorist leader’s name was actually Abasi Sawalha, leader of the Yemeni Liberation Brotherhood (YLB) a group who are sympathetic to Latif. Realising that he is not Latif, Stonebridge rushes to warn Colonel Grant.

Section 20 then head to the address where Major Ashkani claimed to be staying before he arrived at the Command Centre. When the team arrive, they are shocked to find the real Major Jamal Ashkani dead in the bathroom. Realising that they have been tricked. Meanwhile, miles away near a remote village, the fake Major Ashkani orders the car to stop with the front passenger killing the driver, shocking Zubedah. As she turns to look at the Major, the man revels himself to be the real Latif and an imposter. He then demands Zubedah at gunpoint to tell him everything she knows.

Later that day, Section 20 arrive at the remote village to the car abandoned and Zubedah dead, shot in the back. The team realise that Latif had played them all along right from the beginning, and that they personally gave Zubedah to Latif on a plate. Grant makes a pledge, that she was responsible for bringing Latif into their Command Centre and that she gave him Mahmood in person. Telling the team to remember his victory for’ it will not happen again’.

Working with Daniel Connolly

With his identity now revealed and Section 20 now hot on his heels. Latif accelerates his plans for Project Dawn. In Cape Town, South Africa Latif has hired Daniel Connolly, a member of the IRA who is now a mercenary for hire on the run because of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. Latif has hired Connolly to ambush an Armoured Truck which contains security protocols for a major chemical weapons company called ATAT Systems. The company is run by a man called Kenneth Bratton, who just so happened to be in Iraq monitoring Saddam Hussain’s weapons programme and captured by the Iraqi Republican Guard just before the American invasion. The security protocols open up a secret vault belonging to Bratton, that contains a weaponised VX Gas.

Section 20, also now in Cape Town, are following up on the lead of the suspected security convoy ambush from one of Connolly’s contacts. Too late to stop the ambush, Colonel Grant identities Connolly from the truck’s CCTV, also identifying his three henchmen. One of his henchmen: Hugo Lynch a computer hacker, was killed in the ambush by one of the truck’s guards.

The team discover that Connolly has recruited another computer hacker, an American called Julian Buckley to replace Lynch. Who has just arrived in Cape Town. Grant sends Scott and Stonebridge to capture him, but after a car and foot chase through Cape Town, Buckley is killed. So Scott proposes to Grant to let him take his place himself as he is American. Grant accepts and orders Scott to go to Buckley’s scheduled rendezvous.

After getting captured by Connolly and mocked executed by having a bomb strapped to his chest inside a remote barn. Scott’s cover as Buckley is proved intact as Connolly accepts Scott into the team. Meanwhile, the team discover that Bratton had been blackmailed by Connolly to give up his security clearances for his company vault. After initially working with Connolly and even giving up Kate Marshall’s identity to Connolly through a contact in Whitehall. Bratton has a change of heart, and calls Marshall to arrange a meeting for him to be taken into protective custody in return for the safety of his family.

However, when Stonebridge and Marshall go to the rendezvous with Bratton, he and Marshall are captured by Connolly and his team. Before Bratton was captured he revelled to Marshall and Section 20 that Connolly and Latif are after one of his Chemical weaponised VX Gases hidden away in a secret vault. Stonebridge revels to Grant that he had put a tracker on Marshall before they went to the rendezvous. Now able to track Marshall and with Scott’s cover still intact, Grant dispatches Stonebridge to follow them to the secret vault.

Connolly, along with his team, Scott and Bratton arrive at the location of the hidden vault which is hidden in an underground bunker below a fertiliser factory. Once inside, Scott with the help of Sinclair back in the control room, hack into the ATAT security systems so the vault can be opened. Once the systems are breached, Connolly forces Bratton to open the vault and retrieve the VX gas. After he hands over the gas, Connolly kills Bratton. Shortly after, the security system detects Sinclair’s virus, alerting Connolly and the team and revealing Scott to be a mole. But before they can kill him, Scott and Stonebridge who arrives just in time, kills the last two members of Connolly’s team. Connolly attempts to escape with the VX gas but is shot in the leg and gets caught up by Scott and Stonebridge.

Now captured Connolly revels to Scott and Stonebridge where Marshall is being held captive. He tells them to look in the van they arrived in, to find Marshall tied up and strapped with a bomb to her chest. Connolly plays on Stonebridge’s feelings for Marshall, and tells him he’ll deactivate the bomb if he lets him go. Scott and Marshall urge Stonebridge to not listen. But Stonebridge let’s Connolly go. However, as soon as his too far away, Connolly breaks his word and doesn’t switch off the bomb, dooming Marshall. Realising her fate, Marshall orders Stonebridge to withdraw, Scott pulls him away just in time before the bomb detonates, killing Marshall.

Back in Cape Town, Latif arrives to meet with Connolly in exchange for the VX Gas. But is told by one of his associates Fatmir Hasani over the phone that Connolly has failed and the weapon has been seized by Section 20. Latif orders Hasani to tell Connolly that he is most disappointed with his failure. Cutting ties with Connolly on the spot.

Section 20 catch up with Connolly who is now on the run from both Section 20 and Latif and is killed in Maputo, Mozambique by Grant, avenging Kate Marshall’s death.




Biography

Latif was born in Pakistan. Very little is known about his early life. He was a former member of the ISI, Scott also confirms that at some point he was a rebel leader in Afghanistan at some point during the Afghan War. A cunning and ruthless man, Latif was a skilled operator with vast experience in espionage, intelligence, organisation and cyber activities. Also having knowledge in chemical and biological weapons development. Demonstrating to be a skilled field agent he managed to successfully infiltrate Section 20 by impersonating as an Officer for the Pakistani Intelligence Service whilst the team were in New Delhi, India looking for him. Whilst there he manage to fool Section 20 and the Indian Army the whole time and trick them into handing over Dr Iman Zubedah (also known as Mahmood) to him. Who he eventually kills after he interrogated her into revealing everything she knew about the WMDs taken and hidden away from Iraq before the American invasion.

He is responsible for the deaths of John Porter and Captain Kate Marshall as well as many more, he was eventually killed when he shot a gas cylinder secreted inside the pocket of Colonel Eleanor Grant, not only killing her but himself in the process. Just outside Budapest after his plan was thwarted by Section 20.

Taken
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