Encounter: Rangers, police kill members of Lyari gang war

Most of the suspects belong to the Uzair Baloch group

KARACHI: Five gangsters belonging to various groups of Lyari gangsters were killed by the Rangers and police in two separate overnight encounters on Saturday.

In the Chakiwara encounter, the Rangers conducted an intelligence-driven joint targeted operation with the police at Wichani Muhalla. The convicts started indiscriminate firing and tried to escape when the paramilitary force reached the suspected hideout of the criminals. A Rangers' spokesperson said that three notorious gangsters were killed after an exchange of fire, while some others managed to escape.

The bodies were shifted to Civil hospital where later they were identified as Majid alias Rickshaw Wala, Abdul Samad alias Mulla and Imam Bux alias Khairo. Weapons were also recovered from their possession.

Majid, a resident of Liaquat Colony in Lyari, was linked to Shakeel Commando of the Uzair Baloch group and was involved in 26 murders, kidnapping, dacoities and extortion. Abdul Samad, a resident of Khadda Market in Lyari, was linked to Furqan alias Yamah of the Uzair Baloch group and involved in 10 murders, extortion, dacoities and drugs peddling. Whereas, Imam who was also a resident of Liaquat Colony in Lyari, was linked to Shakeel Commando of the Uzair Baloch group and was involved in four murders, dacoities, extortion and drug peddling.

Earlier, the law enforcers also conducted an intelligence-driven joint targeted operation at Bihar Colony against criminals of the gang war. The Rangers troops were indiscriminately fired upon by criminals, two of whom were killed in the retaliatory fire while others escaped.

The gangsters killed were identified as Anees and Junaid, residents of Bihar Colony and both had links to the Baba Ladla group. Anees was involved in 19 killings, extortion and snatching cases. Junaid was involved in five killings, robberies, snatching and other extortion cases. He was also involved in the recent killing of Nadeem alias Bablu and his two friends in Bihar Colony on June 7. Weapons were also found in their possession, the spokesperson said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2015.