At least six more killed in ongoing Lyari violence

KARACHI: At least six more people were killed in Lyari on Thursday as the latest bout of a battle between two rival gangs continued for a second consecutive week. With the death toll of the latest bout of violence rising to 35 over eight days, there seems to be no respite for the people of Lyari despite promises made by the authorities to ensure their safety.

Thursday’s violence was spurred when one gang strategically took over rival-controlled areas in an operation that began late Wednesday night.

Members of the Baba Ladla group attacked Eidu Lane, a stronghold of the Ghaffar Zikri gang, to push their rivals out of the area. According to witnesses, crossfire continued for more than three hours and the Ghaffar Zikri group ended up losing their land. The Baba Ladla gang managed to occupy Zikri’s house and hoisted the Lyari Peace Committee flags, an organisation formed by Rehman Dakait, the central figure in the Lyari gang war who was killed last year.

According to officials, the killing spree began when Baba Ladla attacked the area with more than 50 of his men, causing the rival Zikri group to run for their lives. After gaining control of Eidu lane, Baba Ladla’s men destroyed the hideouts of the Zikri group, local residents reported. “They [Ladla group] also seized the weapons stored by the rival group,” they said.

However, they didn’t stop there. Their next target was Ali Muhammad Mohallah, another Zikri stronghold. Members of the Ladla group tried to enter the area through Dubai Chowk, which they considered a relatively safe route. But, four of the gang members were shot dead. Residents of the area said those killed were close associates of Baba Ladla and the locals identified them as Mohallah Sikandar alias Saikhu, Tahir Langra, Gawadari and Jameel Chandio. Their bodies were buried in a local cemetery.

Despite the shootout, the Ladla group entered Ali Muhammad Mohallah, and, according to the locals, occupied a major part of the area as the Zikri group escaped.

The Uzair Baloch and Baba Ladla groups control a major chunk of Lyari, while Eidu lane and Ali Muhammad Mohallah were the only strongholds of the Zikri group.

Reports suggest that, Jabbar alias Jangoo, a close aide of Baba Ladla, has been assigned to look after the matters of the Eidu lane.

Residents spent a sleepless night with the sound of heavy machine guns, hand grenades and even rocket launchers resonating through the neighbourhood.

Among the dead was a woman whose body was found in Eidu lane. The police, quoting the residents, said that she had provided shelter to members of the rival group and was thus killed.

The body of another man, Haneef, was found in front of the Noor Jehan building, street No 6, Liaquat Colony. According to the police, the residents claimed that members of one gang thought he was an agent for the other group and hence had shot him.

The police and the paramilitary Rangers remained silent as the indiscriminate firing of rockets continued in Lyari. A few days ago, Sindh home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza had directed CCPO Waseem Ahmed to provide maximum security to the people of Lyari, adding that trained police commandoes would be deployed at sensitive spots. But on Thursday, residents complained that the police could not be seen even outside the local police stations.

The Rangers, who were asked to patrol the area by Sindh Home Minister and the CCPO, disappeared as soon as the firing started, the residents added.

The gang war in Lyari that started in 2003 has claimed more than 4,000 lives, according to official records.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2010.