Joint operation: TTP commander killed in Karachi

The operative was allegedly involved in the killing of security personnel.

KARACHI:

Law enforcing agencies on Wednesday killed a key operative of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and rounded up a number of alleged members of the outfit during separate operations in Karachi.

The TTP’s local commander – identified as Zohair aka Salman – was killed in an encounter with police and Rangers during a joint operation, carried out in the Mauripur area of the city on a tip-off.

The deceased commander was said to be associated with the TTP’s Maulvi Khalid group.

“He was involved in killing of around 15 army and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel in North Waziristan. He was also involved in kidnapping for ransom and extortion,” the Rangers spokesperson claimed.

He said the TTP operative was involved in generating funds for his organisation and had also killed a medico-legal officer and manager of the private company over refusal to pay the ransom money.

Law enforcers claim also to have recovered from him a hit-list comprising names of several political leaders including Muttahida Quami Movement’s Farooq Sattar and Hyder Abbas Rizvi, Awami National Party’s Bashir Jan and Pakistan Peoples Party’s Faisal Raza Abidi.

His body was moved to Edhi morgue after medico-legal formalities were completed at Civil Hospital, Karachi. Two hand grenades and a Kalashnikov were also recovered from his possession.

Meanwhile, over one dozen suspects including members of the TTP were arrested during an operation conducted by Rangers in Kunwari Colony of Karachi’s Manghopir area.

The Rangers spokesperson said the operation was conducted on a tip-off about the presence of suspected militants. He claimed that a huge cache of weapons were also recovered from their possession. The suspects were shifted to undisclosed location for further questioning.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2014.