Operation Lyari: Law enforcers cordon off strongholds of Baba Ladla

Three people killed, 11 injured during the gang war which escalated late Friday night.

KARACHI:

As the rising tensions between the two gangs in Lyari forced residents to move out, law enforcers started a targeted operation on Saturday evening which was under way till the filing of this report.

The Rangers and police conducted an operation in areas dominated by notorious gangster, Noor Muhammad aka Baba Ladla. They cordoned off areas from Shah Baig Lane to Bihar Colony while the main focus of targeted operation was seen around Dubai Chowk and Phool Patti Lane. Sources said that Karim Baloch, Ladla’s aide, was shot dead during the exchange of fire with the Faisal Pathan group.

Arrests and other developments of the operation were not disclosed by the law enforcers but residents reported that an office of a group has been burnt.

Tension escalated late Friday night and continued till the next day as explosions and intense firing kept residents of the densely populated areas confined to their homes while those who could find a way out, tried to leave the area with their belongings.

Even before the battle started between the groups of Uzair Jan Baloch and Baba Ladla, announcements from multiple mosques, urging people to stay indoors or move to safer places, could be heard.

“The situation always turns tense after such announcements,” said a resident of Phool Patti Lane, who left the area along with the family on Saturday morning. “It was not possible for me to leave soon after the announcement - we had to wait for the morning.” He told The Express Tribune that several families had already moved out due to the fight between the two groups. Another resident, on the condition of anonymity, said that most of the residents wanted to leave the area but it was not feasible for them to move in with their relatives. “Gangsters can occupy our homes once we leave. We are stuck between these two groups,” he said.

Several families have moved to Mowach Goth, Mauripur, Malir and other areas, complaining that the government had not made any arrangements for them.

On fire

At least five people, including a policeman, were killed in the violence while 11 people were injured, including two minor sisters. Armed men attacked policemen when they tried to enter one of the affected areas, Ali Mohammad Mohalla, at around 11am on Saturday. Baghdadi police official confirmed that two policemen, including Constable Muhammad Essa and Head Constable Asad Mehmood, were shot and injured. “Essa died in the hospital during treatment,” he confirmed. He said that the armed men attacked the Armoured Personnel Carrier when they tried to enter the area to control the violence.

Residents of Chakiwara, 40-year-old Haji Bashir and 70-year-old Ali Zaman, were killed during the exchange of fire between the two groups in the jurisdiction of Chakiwara police station. Police officials said that both the deceased were not affiliated with any group. Abdul Razaq, 30, was also shot dead by unidentified armed men in Bihar Colony.

Two sisters, 10-year-old Asma and eight-year-old Rahima, were shot and injured in Phool Pati Lane while 12-year-old Muhammad Hamza also received a bullet injury in Bihar Colony.

According to residents, more than two dozen explosions took place in Ali Mohammad Mohalla, Ahmed Shah Bukhari Road, Phool Patti Lane, Dubai Chowk and other adjacent areas since Friday night. Exchange of fire between the two groups continued till Saturday afternoon before the law enforcement agencies cordoned off the affected areas. The areas identified as most troubled also included Koila Godam, Gulistan Colony, Moosa Lane and nearby areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2013.