Rangers foil terrorist attack on Youm-e-Ali procession in Karachi

Law enforcers arrest four Lashka-e-Jhangvi militants

KARACHI: Sindh Rangers on Saturday foiled a major terrorist bid in Karachi by arresting four militants of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Four LeJ militants were arrested from Orangi Town area of the metropolis hours before the Youm-e-Ali procession is set to take place. Rangers claim the captured militants were planning to carry out a suicide attack on the religious gathering.

An explosive vest, 15kg explosives, 18 hand grenades and other arms and ammunition were seized from the terrorists’ possession, a statement released by Rangers said.

"The troops arrested them on intelligence-based information," a Rangers spokesperson said. "They were ready to attack the procession when troops arrested them," he added.

The spokesperson also appealed to citizens to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and immediately inform Rangers if they notice any suspicious activity.

Strict security measures have been taken in Karachi to ensure the safety of the central procession of Youm-e-Ali (RA).  Besides Rangers and volunteers, as many as 5,500 policemen have been deployed for the procession's security while all leading routes to the main procession were sealed and the procession was also being monitored through CCTV cameras.

Earlier, DIGs and SSPs were asked by IGP Sindh Allah Dino Khowaja to supervise the main processions in the entire province. Further, Sindh government imposed a ban on pillion riding in parts of the province, including Karachi and Hyderabad, on the recommendations of Sindh police for the day following security threats.



A main procession to commemorate the death anniversary of Hazrat Ali has been taken out in Karachi which will pass through its set routes and end at Hussainian Iranian Imambargah in Kharadar around dusk today.

Rangers conducted a raid after two hardcore terrorists of the same outlawed organisation escaped from the city’s Central Jail on June 15.



On Tuesday night, two hardcore militants of the LeJ – Shaikh Muhammad Mumtaz alias Firon alias Sher Khan alias Shahzad alias Bhai and Muhammad Ahmed Khan alias Munna – escaped from Central Jail, Karachi. Munna had been reportedly serving a 14-year-imprisonment. Both of them belonged to the Hafiz Qasim Rasheed and Sabir Munna groups of the LeJ. These groups are considered the most dangerous of sectarian militant outfits and have been involved in various high profile terrorism cases.

Following their escape, a dozen jail officials, including Prison Superintendent Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh, Deputy Superintendent Fahim Memon and Assistant Superintendent Abdul Rehman Shaikh, were suspended and later arrested for negligence.