04 October 2004	Monday	18 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Oct 3: Three youths, including a councillor's son, were killed in two incidents as a result of the ongoing gang war between two groups in Lyari. Their bodies were recovered from different places on early Sunday morning, police said.

The ongoing rivalry between Arshad Pappu and Rehman Dacoit gangs has claimed seven lives since last week in Lyari. The police said that Umeed Ali, councillor of UC 6, reported to Chakiwara police late on Saturday night that his son Ayaz Ali, 19, and his nephew, Anis, 18, went missing.

Early on Sunday morning, Ayaz was found in injured condition, while body of Anis was found in Singu Lane. Ayaz was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where he died during treatment.

Chakiwara SHO Naseer Tanoli told Dawn that Umeed Ali was a relative of Ghaffar Zikri, a close associate of Arshad Pappu, adding that Zikri was considered to be mafia chief of Eidu lane. Uzair, Baba Ladla and Jamil were nominated by Umeed Ali for their alleged involvement in the killings, he said.

The police said that the nominated suspects belonged to the Rehman Dacoit group. Earlier, body of an unidentified young man was found in the jurisdiction of Chakiwara police station on late Saturday night.

The police said that the victim was about 30-year old, and his body bore a bullet wound in the head. The body was sent to the Civil Hospital for postmortem examination.

The incident followed the killing of Shahnawaz, 24, in Rexer lane, Kalakot, on Saturday, who according to the police was nephew of Babu Dacoit, who was also killed few months back in Lyari.

Chakiwara SHO suspected that the killing was a reaction of the Shahnawaz's killing. On Sept 29, three young boys were gunned down in two incidents in Lyari. The killings were also suspected to be an out come of the gang war.

Bodies of the both boys were recovered in naked condition near the Lyari General Hospital. Police said that body of Asim bore two bullet wounds in head and hips, while the body of Shakil bore two bullet wounds in his chest. Hospital sources said that both the victim's were badly tortured.

Asim's father Shambay Khan was on a fishing trip, while his seven brothers were in Iran. The police said that Asim was a relative of Baba Ladlla, who was said to be the right hand of Rehman dacoit.

Following the recovery of the bodies, tension had griped the entire locality of Lyari, and shops and other businesses were closed. Shakil had four brothers and three sisters.

In another incident, which police described as a reaction to the killings of Asim and Shakil, 12-year-old Jehanzeb was brutally shot dead at the door steps of his house in Eidu Lane.

Police said that three suspects pulled up and opened fire at Jehanzeb. The boy suffered 16 bullets and died on the spot. The victim's mother, Kaniz Fatima, was also injured in the firing.

The victim used to operate a donkey cart. His brother Abdul Jalil lodged an FIR, nominating police constable Mumtaz, his accomplices Shahid, Rahim and Noor Mohammad. Police said that Jehanzeb was younger brother of Shahzad, a former policeman and close associate of Arshad Pappu.

Shahzad was presently serving a sentence in jail, the police added. Lyari TPO Javed Baloch has been transferred because of the recent killings in the area, but there is no let up in the lawlessness there.