Child killed as robbers take family hostage

KARACHI: A six-year-old girl was killed and four criminals were arrested during an exchange of fire between the police and bandits at Babar Market, Landhi, on Tuesday.

The police encounter started after a group of four robbers, including a woman, entered a house, took the residents hostage and started stealing valuables. Police officials said the bandits beat up the people at home and warned them that they would be killed if they resisted.

According to them, neighbours contacted them when they heard the uproar.

Landhi SP Zafar Iqbal said the police cordoned off the street and then asked the robbers to drop their weapons, come out of the house and surrender to the police. However, instead of complying, two of the four men came out and started firing indiscriminately. The other two remained inside the house, keeping the family hostage.

The shoot-out continued for some time and the robbers inside the house also started firing at the police. In the end, the law enforcers managed to arrest the group.

After the firing was over, the family informed the police that six-year-old Hina, daughter of the house owner Abdul Hameed, was injured during the firing.

She was taken to hospital but died on the way. One of the four arrested men was also injured.

The police claimed to have recovered four TT pistols from them.

SP Iqbal said the arrested people were identified as Ayaz, Ejaz, Anwar and Saira. Anwar was a resident of Korangi, Ejaz lived in Quaidabad while Ayaz and Saira were residents of Malir.

Published in The Express Triune, July 28^th, 2010.