Encounters and raids: Three men shot dead, 10 others arrested

Rangers claim to have taken a member of a banned militant outfit into custody.

KARACHI: Two suspected supporters of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and an alleged robber were killed during two separate encounters with the police in the city on Sunday, while the Rangers claim to have arrested 10 suspects in targeted raids.

In the Old City area, a suspected robber was killed in an alleged encounter with the police within the limits of the Mithadar police station. According to police officials, three men broke into a store in the area to steal valuables. The police claimed that a police mobile was in the area carrying out routine patrolling when they were informed about the robbery from a passerby. The police reached the site and there was an exchange of fire between them and the robbers. Two of them managed to escape while an alleged robber were killed. The police claim to have recovered a pistol from the crime scene.



On Saturday night, two suspected militants were killed during an alleged encounter with the police in Orangi Town. The police said the alleged encounter took place after the police received information about the militants’ hideout in Rahim Shah Colony. The incident took place within the limits of the Mominabad police station.

The police claim that the militants opened fire at them and tried to escape. The police opened fire at them in retaliation in which two militants were shot dead.

The bodies were taken to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth after the medico-legal formalities were completed at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. While talking to The Express Tribune, SHO Shahzad Ilyas said that the men were identified as Qasim and Rehmat. He added that Qasim was a drug dealer, militant and had financed the TTP-Swat. According to the police he was wanted for more than 20 murder cases. Rehmat, they claimed, was a land grabber and was wanted in several murder cases.

In an unrelated incident, around seven suspected extortionists and kidnappers were taken into custody during a raid in Akhtar Colony, Mehmoodabad by the Rangers.

The Rangers also claimed to have taken three men, including one from a banned militant outfit, into custody. The spokesperson said that the arrests were made when the Rangers conducted a raid in Golden Town.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2014.