7 cops among 20 killed in Karachi

KARACHI: Seven policemen were among 20 people killed in separate incidents of violence, including bomb attacks, on Saturday.

The largest incident of terrorism took place outside the residence of the Chairman of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi), Afaq Ahmed, in Landhi No. 6 where at least six police personnel were killed in back-to-back bomb and gun attacks on two police mobile vans, police said.

Following the attack, another police mobile van was sent from the Landhi police station to the spot of the first attack, but it was also attacked by some armed men on motorcycles near Al-Razi Hospital in the Landhi No. 6 area, who used small firearms to target the police personnel, killing three more personnel and injuring two of them.

Dr Seemi Jamali at the emergency ward of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre identified the deceased police personnel as ASI Javed Khan, 40, HC Asim Khan, PC Fida Hussain, ASI Naeem Ahmed, 40, PC Khalil Ahmed, 40, and PC Asif Ali, 30, adding that Sub Inspector Shahzado, 50, was injured and being treated at the hospital.

Earlier in the day, an ASI of the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) was killed in Taser Town, Sector 35-B in Surjani Town. He was gunned down by armed men inside a barber shop, police said.

Surjani Town police identified the victim as 43-year-old Sabir Ali, who was a close associate of slain SP CID Chaudhry Aslam.

In a separate incident, a guard of a local Pakistan People’s Party leader and a young child were killed in Liaquatabad No. 5 near Sindhi Hotel when armed men opened fire on them outside a tailor’s shop, police said.

Liaquatabad DSP Wajahat Hussain identified the PPP leader’s guard as Ayaz Ali, 26.

The child was identified as Muhammad Ishaque Gulzar, 10.

In a yet separate incident, a 35-year-old man who was identified as Sabir Ali was killed in Orangi Town Sabri Chowk in the limits of Mominabad police limits.

SHO Mominabad claimed that the deceased was an employee of the City Fire Brigade Department and a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

In another incident, Manzoor Ahmed was killed by armed men near Asma Garden off Abul Hasan Ispahani Road.

A 55-year-old man was killed in downtown area on Baba-e-Urdu Road in Risala police limits. He was identified as Asghar Lala.

Rizwan, 40, was killed in Kazimabad area of Model Colony when armed men opened fire on a Suzuki pickup.

Meanwhile, bodies of two persons were found under the Lasbella Bridge in the limits of Gulbahar police who had been shot dead after abduction, police said. Gulbahar police said both the victims were between 25 and 30 years of age and suspected that they were killed due to the ongoing gang war between Lyari gangsters.

Meanwhile, two gangsters were killed in separate encounters with the Rangers in Lyari.

Gangster Abdul Jabbar alias Sindhi was killed in the Khadda market area of the Baghdadi police remit in an encounter with the Rangers
In another encounter with the Rangers, Nazar Muhammad Baloch, an alleged gangster was killed in the Rangiwara area of Chakiwara police limits, Rangers said.

Another body of an unidentified man believed to be in his twenties was recovered from the Akbar Road area of Shershah. He had been shot in the head and chest. Two more people were killed in separate incidents in different parts of the city.