KARACHI: Despite the granting of new powers to the law enforcement agencies by the Sindh government, there has been no respite in targeted violence in the city. On Sunday, 12 people, including three police constables and two women were killed in various parts of the city.

The violence started from the Lyari area where two armed groups fought pitched battles that soon enveloped the whole of Lyari. During the street fights, seven people were killed. The violence started from Agra Taj Colony and later badly affected parts of Baghdadi, Chakiwara, Garden and Kharadar.

The first fatal incident took place in the Baghdadi area where armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire and also lobbed a hand grenade in Phool Pati Lane, injuring six people. Later, two of the injured died. Station House Officer (SHO) Abid Tanoli of the Baghdadi Police Station said that the police rushed to the spot and moved the injured to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) where Sajid and Dua expired. The condition of Lal Bibi, Nazeer, Rasheed and Nadeem was stable. Investigators said that the deceased died due to the explosion. The police had started an investigation into the incident.

At the same time, two bodies were found on the street No-4, Bihar Colony in Lyari. A police mobile went to the spot and shifted the bodies to the CHK. During investigation, the deceased were identified as Zahid and Faqeer Mohammed alias Faqeera, residents of Agra Taj Colony, Kalri. They were kidnapped by unidentified persons who after inflicting brutal

torture shot and killed the victims and threw their bodies in the area. The deceased died due to multiple bullet wounds on their upper torso. Investigators said that the deceased Zahid was an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) while Faqeera was a member of the Katchi community.

Police said that the Chakiwara area soon became a battleground. During firing, a bullet hit Yasmin in Bihar Colony, who succumbed to her injuries at the CHK.Later,

contingents of police and Rangers entered the disturbed locality of Lyari and started tackling the situation, during which the gangsters moved towards the Dhobi Gath area in the Garden police remits.

Police said that during an armed clash between two groups, two persons, Rafiullah and Junaid, were shot at. They were taken to the CHK where they died during treatment. The deceased had received multiple bullet wounds on their upper torso which became the cause of their deaths. The attackers had used pistols in the offence.

The deceased were residents of the Garden area and supporters of a political party. The law enforcers could only control the situation by Sunday afternoon.Meanwhile, target killers gunned down Nadeem in the Kharadar police remits. The incident took place on Sunday afternoon at Sauleh Mohammed Street, Kapra Market, Kharadar.

Police said that the deceased Nadeem, an electrician, was present at a shop when two armed men riding a motorcycle injured him and fled. He was rushed to the CHK where he died.

The deceased had received three bullet wounds on his upper torso which became the cause of his death. The attackers had used 9mm pistols in the offence and spent bullet shells were sent to the forensic division of the Sindh Police. Investigators termed the murder of Nadeem, a resident of Garden East, part of the wave of target killings and added that he was a supporter of a political party. A case was reported to the police.

In another gory incident that took place on Sunday afternoon in the Jamshed Quarters police limits, armed men targeted three policemen. The incident took place on the main Business Recorder Road, near Fatima Bai Hospital, Patel Para, Jamshed Quarters.

Jamshed Quarter’s Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Zameer Abbasi said that police personnel were deployed in the Patel Para area as the funeral prayer of two slain ANP workers was taking place in the area. More policemen had been called from the PIB Colony station for security reasons.

Meanwhile, four armed men riding two motorcycles stopped near a PIB Colony police station mobile and opened indiscriminate fire, injuring PC Rana Mohammed Amir, PC Iqbal and Head Constable (HC) Amjad.

The injured policemen were shifted to a private hospital where PC Iqbal and HC Amjad expired while PC Amir was in a critical condition. The deceased had received multiple bullet wounds on their upper torso which became the cause of their deaths. The attackers had used 9mm pistol in the offence and 17 spent bullet casings were found from the scene of of the crime which were sent to the forensic division of the Sindh Police.

SDPO Abbasi termed the attack on the policemen as target killings and added that the personnel were posted at the PIB Colony Police station. He added that the injured PC Amir was the driver of the mobile van. A case was reported and investigations are under way.

In yet another targeted attack, armed men gunned down PC Sadaruddin, 35, in the Sachal police remits. The incident took place on Sunday night near the Buraq Petrol Pump, Super Highway, Sachal.

Police said that PC Sadaruddin was posted at Yousuf Plaza police station and was a resident of Sohrab Goth. On Sunday night, after he completed his duty, he was heading home when he was attacked.

The injured was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) where he expired. The deceased had received multiple bullet wounds on his upper torso which became the cause of his death. The attackers had used pistols in the offence.

In the Ibrahim Hyderi police remits, the tortured and bullet riddled body of a young woman was found. Police said that they had recovered the body from bushes in Bhittaiabad on Sunday morning and the body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for a postmortem.

During investigations it was found that the woman had been kidnapped from an unknown place, her hands and feet were tied and she was subjected to torture. Later, the accused shot and killed her and threw her body in the area. They added that it is early to confirm the motive behind the murder as the exact motive would become clear after her identification. A case was reported and investigations are under way.

Meanwhile, Syed Irfan Hussain, 20, was shot dead in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police limits. SHO Khan Mohammed of the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station said that Irfan was a resident of Madhu Goth, Jauhar. On Sunday afternoon, he was present outside his house and was busy in removing bushes when armed men on a motorcycle came and opened fire, fatally injuring him. Three other people were also injured in the attack.

They were moved to the JPMC where Irfan expired while the three others survived. Police officials said the murder took place on account of enmity but other aspects would also be investigated.

