The sound of gunshots echoed in the neighbourhoods of Lyari as the police combated heavily armed miscreants who confronted the police with rocket launchers and grenades. The police rounded off tens of wanted criminals during the operation.
Heavy firing continued on the third day in Cheel Chowk and Ghaas Mandi areas in particular. Three out of four armoured personnel carriers (APCs) were destroyed in attacks from gangsters since the operation began. However, police repaired them and started using them again.
The miscreants fired five rockets at police near Cheel Chowk and opened indiscriminate fire, which injured five including Express News cameraman Arif Ali. The injured have been shifted to a hospital.
The residents of Lyari, fearful of escalating violence and deprived of food, started migrating to safer places.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police Crime Investigation Department Chaudhry Aslam Khan, the police had covered almost 70% of the violence-hit areas of Lyari.
The Home Ministry of Sindh issued arrest warrant for Uzair Jan Baloch, a former chief of Peoples Amn Committee. Baloch announced earlier on Saturday that he was quitting the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in protest against the police action.
The police claimed that it will soon enter Baloch’s house to arrest him.
Advanced weapons to be used in operation
Meanwhile late Sunday night, it was decided that advanced weapons would be dispatched to police officials in Lyari. The decision was taken on a joint request made by Crime Investigation Department and Superintendent of Police (South), Express News reported.
Additional Inspector General has ordered South West Range DIG(s) to assist in this regard.
West Range has dispatched 15 Light Machine Guns (LMG), 50 G3 Rifles and a heavy round of ammunition, along with five armoured personnel carriers (APCs).
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