Encounters and arrests: Militants suspected of attack on Rangers headquarters killed

Additional Rangers troops were sent to location after firing continued for a while.


Our Correspondent July 26, 2014

KARACHI:


Five suspected militants were killed during separate encounters with the police and Rangers in the city on Saturday.


Two suspected militants of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in an alleged encounter with the law enforcers in Sohrab Goth. DSP Qamar Ahmed told The Express Tribune that the encounter took place when the police and Rangers conducted a joint raid in Indus ground in Sohrab Goth. Upon seeing the law enforcers, the militants opened fire at them and tried to escape. In retaliation, the police and Rangers also fired back, killing two militants while the third one managed to escape.

A Rangers spokesperson said that an extortion call was received by a garment factory owner to pay Rs70,000 near Al Asif Square. Accordingly, the Rangers Special Task Cell was sent to the location to apprehend the criminals along with factory owner. The spokesperson added that the escaped militant was captured by them in Federal B Area. He further said that the criminal group was involved in taking extortion money from various factories during Ramazan to fund the TTP.

DSP Ahmed said that weapons and a motorcycle were recovered from their possession. Their bodies were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and then to the Edhi morgue for identification.

Earlier on Friday night, three militants were killed during an encounter with the Rangers in Manghopir. A Rangers spokesperson said that the paramilitary force conducted a targeted raid after receiving intelligence information regarding the presence of militants in Ijtimah Gah in Manghopir. Upon seeing the Rangers, the militants resorted to firing and the Rangers fired back in retaliation. Additional Rangers troops were sent to the location after the firing continued for a while. Rangers spokesperson said that after a fierce gun battle, three militants were killed and two were arrested in injured condition, while one militant fled away.

During the firing, a Rangers sepoy was also injured. Rangers also recovered three pistols, seven hand grenades, suicide jackets and explosives.

The spokesperson added that the deceased militants had masterminded the execution of the suicide attack on the Rangers Headquarters located in North Nazimabad and numerous other bomb blasts in district West and Central. They have also been involved in the police target killings and kidnappings to collect funds for the TTP. At the time of the raid, the militants had allegedly gathered to plan attacks that were going to be carried out over the next few days.

The militants killed in the encounter have been identified as Shah Waliullah Khan, son of Khan Muhammad, Javed Hussain, son of Sher Zada and Saeedullah, son of Masawat Khan. They were identified by their families at the Edhi morgue, who claimed that they were not involved in any criminal activity, and were labourers who were detained by the law enforcers four days ago during an operation in Islamia Colony.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) claimed to have arrested three suspects during a raid in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

The ACLC officials said that the arrested suspects were involved in assembling motorcycles using stolen auto parts and snatched motorcycles from Karachi. Officials said that the arrested culprits revealed to have sold around 750 motorcycles.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27th, 2014.

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