Three policemen killed, four others wounded in separate attacks in Karachi

Police officer gunned down in Gulshan-e-Iqbal

KARACHI: Two policemen lost their lives and three others were wounded when a police mobile came under a bomb attack on MA Jinnah Road, while another cop was killed in a targeted gun attack while his partner was injured in Gulshan-e-Iqbal on Monday evening.

First, two policemen, including head constable Shamimur Rehman and constable Mobin were killed, and another cop, Faisal Ejaz were wounded when their mobile van, which was on patrol within the remits of Preedy police station, was attacked with grenades by two armed assailants who were riding a motorcycle.

Police officials and bomb disposal squad experts claimed that the culprits had also attached some chemicals along with the grenade which turned the explosive it into an incendiary. The bomb immediately set the van on fire upon explosion.

Though attacks on police mobiles have become a routine affair in Karachi, this was the second incident, in which assailants threw hand grenades attached with chemicals.

“While the explosion hurt the policemen, the chemical attached with the grenades also set the van on fire, causing more damage,” District South police chief DIG Khalique Shaikh told The Express Tribune. “It is a new modus operandi. It has not happened before except in one incident in Gulshan-e-Iqbal a week ago.”

Shaikh added that the attack occurred when the police personnel were patrolling the area, adding that the district South police will remain in touch with the Gulshan police of district East to investigate the case.

Policeman shot dead in Gulshan

About half an hour after that bomb blast near Tibet centre, a police constable was shot dead and another wounded in a targeted gun attack in Block 13-D/1 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal at 9:30pm.

The deceased was identified as Constable Matiuddin, and the injured as Qayyum.

DSP Khalid Tipu said both cops were assigned to district West SP Tahir Noorani, adding that after escorting the the SP to his bungalow in the area, the two had gone to a nearby bakery on a motorcycle to purchase items for breakfast when two armed men riding a motorcycle fired on them.

Noorani added that while the deceased cop was in police uniform, the injured cop was wearing plain clothes.