Three ‘gangsters’ die in police encounter

Early morning shootout leaves woman injured

ISLAMABAD:

In a dramatic early morning encounter, Islamabad police claimed to have killed three members of a notorious interprovincial car-lifting gang.

According to a spokesperson for the police, the incident unfolded after a prolonged investigation and strategic planning by the police.

He said for the past two months, the police had been tracking this gang, utilising information from Safe City cameras and human sources. Intelligence indicated the gang's movements, leading the police to believe they were heading towards Murree. Based on this, specialised teams from the Anti-Vehicle Lifting Cell (AVLC), Crime Response Team (CRT), and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) set up checkpoints in various areas.

The confrontation occurred at the Kashmir Chowk checkpoint when police attempted to intercept the gang's vehicles, which included a GLI and a Honda Civic, both stolen. As the police moved to stop the cars, the gang members opened fire. Tragically, in the ensuing chaos, gunfire from the GLI car killed three of their own members.

The police, acting in self-defence, escaped unscathed.

Among those killed were Ilyas Khan and Waqas Khan, both from Charsadda, with the identification of the third individual still pending. Ilyas Khan was identified as the leader of the gang. A woman named Haseeba Amjad was also injured during the shootout. The gang members responsible for the firing from the GLI car managed to flee the scene.

Following the encounter, police recovered an array of equipment from the vehicles, including unregistered number plates, jammers, mobilisers, ignition breakers, an SMG gun, and pistols. The bodies and the injured were immediately transported to a hospital for further procedures.

DIG Islamabad, Syed Ali Raza, praised the operation as a significant success for Islamabad Police. He highlighted the gang's involvement in car thefts across various districts and their direct attacks on law enforcement officials. He credited real-time information from human sources and the coordinated efforts of teams in Charsadda and Islamabad for tracking the gang's activities.

Raza detailed how the police had reviewed the gang's routes and strategically set up checkpoints, preparing for their arrival from Murree. As the gang approached Kashmir Chowk, they opened fire on the police and attempted to flee in the wrong direction. The ensuing gunfire led to the fatal self-inflicted wounds of three gang members, while the others managed to escape.

Emphasising the police's commitment to protecting citizens' lives and property, DIG Raza reaffirmed that no elements will be allowed to jeopardize public safety.