Turf war: One dead, four injured in Lyari shoot-out

KARACHI:

After laying low for a few months, gangs in Lyari have resorted to firing at each other once again.

On Friday, at least one man was shot dead while four others were injured in a shoot-out.

Situation in Lyari neighbourhoods, including Kalakot, Gharib Shah and Rexor Lane was tense following firing between the Uzair Baloch and Baba Ladla groups.

Both groups resorted to attacking each other with bullets and rockets. Sources claimed that the situation escalated when members of Baba Ladla's group tried to take over areas dominated by their rivals.

"The firing started on Thursday night and continued till Friday afternoon," said a resident of Lyari. "Law enforcers were nowhere to be seen when this was happening."

A young man identified as Sheraz, 25, was shot dead during firing between both the groups on Mewa Shah Road. He was shot once in the head and died on the spot.

The body was taken to Civil Hospital, Karachi for the autopsy.

Police officials said that the deceased had no criminal record and was just passing by when he was shot.

Earlier, a woman and three children were wounded when unidentified men fired a rocket in the Kalakot area. The injured woman was identified as Kulsoom, 40, wife of Bahadur while the injured children were identified as two-year-old Azra, Abdullah, 6 and Sadiq, 8. Police officials said that the woman used to run a breakfast stall in the area and was busy at work when the incident took place while the children were playing there.

According to the police, the situation was under control. Patrolling in the area, however, has increased.

Encounters

Three suspects allegedly linked to an extortion group were killed during separate encounters with the police on Friday.

Two men were killed during an alleged encounter with the police near Noor Muhammad Goth within the limits of Gulshan-e-Maymar police station.

Police officials said that the encounter took place as the suspects arrived to collect extortion money from a trader, adding that the trader had also been attacked by the extortionists over refusal to pay the money. The police said that police personnel were already present in the area and tried to arrest the suspects. Both extortionists tried to escape under the cover of fire but were wounded when the police fired back. They were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where they succumbed to injuries.

In an unrelated incident, a alleged extortionist was killed during an exchange of fire with the police in Lyari. The police said that four members of a Lyari gang reached Khadvi Lane Mill on two motorcycles to collect extortion money. One of them was killed during an encounter with the police while three others managed to escape. The body was taken to Civil Hospital, Karachi for the autopsy where he was identified as Yasin alias Jogi, son of Yousuf.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2014.