Rangers kill four ‘terrorists’ in encounter

Former MQM sector in-charge and five others held in separate raids

KARACHI: Rangers claimed to have killed four suspected terrorists during an alleged encounter in ongoing raids in the city Thursday night. A former sector in-charge of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and five other suspects were arrested on Friday.

The paramilitary force conducted a raid at a suspected terrorist hideout in Gadap Thursday night. Facing retaliation during the encounter, the Rangers responded with full force, said the spokesperson of the paramilitary force, adding that four 'terrorists' were killed during the exchange of fire.

The bodies of the deceased were shifted to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth for identification purposes, after medico-legal formalities were completed.



"The militants were involved in attacks on army convoys and Frontier Constabulary personnel in South Waziristan," said the spokesperson. Cases against them were registered, while further investigations are under way.

Separately, the Rangers also claimed to have arrested a former MQM sector in-charge. His arrest, according to the Rangers spokesperson, was made during a targeted raid conducted in PIB Colony.

"He was a member of MQM's militant wing and had been associated with the party as sector in-charge for Lines Area," said the spokesperson, claiming that during initial interrogations, the arrested man confessed to killing at least 40 people, including policemen and workers of political and religious parties. The accused has also been involved in various other cases of crimes, including kidnaping for ransom and extortion, he said.

Meanwhile, Gulberg police claimed to have arrested five members of a gang of criminals. Gulberg SP Bashir Brohi said that the suspects were arrested during snap-checking in North Nazimabad, adding that they have been involved in more than 100 criminal cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2016.