March 03, 2008	Monday	Safar 24, 1429

KARACHI, March 2: At least two persons were killed and a couple of others wounded when armed men protesting against the killing of a youngster by gangsters opened fire on a passenger coach in Qasba Colony on Sunday before setting several vehicles on fire.

The violence also led to the suspension of traffic in the area as dozens of enraged youths carrying sticks intercepted several vehicles and smashed their windowpanes and windscreens. The situation forced the police authorities to seek help from Rangers, who took three hours to control the situation.

“The situation is under control after the short-lived violence,” said Athar Rasheed Butt, the SP of Site. “We have retrieved the bodies of two persons, who were killed when miscreants opened fire on a Safari Coach passing through the disturbed area.”

Witnesses and police officials said the violence broke out when some armed persons returning from the burial of Amir Shahzad, who was killed by robbers a day earlier, blocked the road and pelted moving vehicles with rocks.

“They were actually demanding arrest of Amir’s killers,” said an official at the Peerabad police station. “The situation went out of control after the firing from an unknown direction on the passenger coach, in which two of its passengers were killed. One of the victims was identified as Anwar while the other remained unknown till late night.”

The coach driver was among the two persons injured in the firing, he said, adding that police had not registered a case against the suspects as they (police) were waiting for the completion of medical formalities on the victims.

Meanwhile, unknown armed persons riding the motorbikes forced the area people to close their businesses after the incident. Police and Rangers, who took over the situation and helped restore traffic after three hours. However, businesses kept their shutters down.

“The area remained tense and under fear till late hours as shopkeepers preferred to keep their business closed despite increased mobility of police and Rangers,” added the official.