Karachi: Suspected terrorist killed, three arrested

Karachi: In a Sunday morning encounter in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, the Sindh Police arrested three suspected terrorists of the banned Lashkar-i-Mehdi (LM), while another suspect was killed in a second encounter with the law enforcers near Rabia City. The detained suspects were allegedly involved in the attack on the Saudi Consulate and other sectarian killings.

SSP Mohammed Farooq Awan of the Crime Branch Sindh said that an informer tipped them off that wanted terrorists belonging to the banned LM were hiding in the Eidgah area.

He immediately moved his teams to conduct a raid early on Sunday morning and as soon as the police reached the spot, the suspects opened fire. A shoot-out took place and the police arrested Zaki alias Kamran, Mohsin and Mohammed Ali Kazmi after the encounter. The suspects were shifted to the Crime Branch unit for interrogation. The police also recovered three pistols and a rifle from the possession of the suspects.

SSP Awan said that investigations found Zaki to be the ringleader of the group. He disclosed that he was trained in Parachinaar, where he leant how to operate weapons.

The other two were also trained in the Parachinar area. Zaki said that after getting trained in Parachinar, the Ameer of their group, Sadiq alias Sattan, sent them back to Karachi with various objectives, which included the killing of religious scholars and other attacks.

Zaki said that he along with his companions killed an estate agent belonging to a rival sect in Karachi and also targeted a broast house in the North Nazimabad area. Disclosing his other targets, Zaki said that the group had killed activists from banned the Sipah-i-Sahaba and also thrown a hand grenade at a Masjid situated in the North Nazimabad area.

The major disclosure made by Zaki was that he and Asif alias Muna had attacked a Masjid in North Nazimabad and also threw hand grenades at the Saudi Consulate. The suspects used a motorcycle and were directed by their leader Sadiq alias Sattan, he added.

SSP Awan said that during interrogation, the police managed to get Asif alias Muna’s phone number from Zaki. They told Zaki to call Asif and ask him to come to Rabia City in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, so that he could be arrested.

He added that teams of the Crime Branch immediately rushed towards the spot and waited for Asif. Soon, the suspect reached Rabia City and when the police tried to arrest him, the suspect opened fire at the law enforcers. The police retaliated and arrested an injured Asif. The police shifted him Asif to the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center (JPMC), where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Asif was also allegedly involved in the Saudi Consulate attack and other sectarian killings.

The original article can be found at The News.

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