KARACHI, June 9: Eight persons, including three policemen, were killed in grenade and gun attacks in Karachi’s southern and eastern neighbourhoods on Sunday, police said.

“Three persons lost their lives in today’s violence in Lyari,” said Karachi police chief Iqbal Mehmood.

The police said that a six-year-old girl and a teenage boy were killed and nine others wounded when unidentified men threw a hand-grenade in a Baghdadi area and escaped.

“We received total 11 injured of the grenade attack,” said Dr Nisar Shah, a medico-legal officer at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK). Sajid, 15, son of Shahnawaz, was brought dead while Dua, six, daughter of Abdul Samad, died during treatment, he added.

He said that the condition of Faraz, seven, son of Khair Muhammad, was critical. Other wounded were identified as Rasheeda, 40, Lal Khaton, 60, Nadeem Shah, 12, Sahil Juman, 10, Din Muhammad Baloch, 60, Asa Muhammad, 13, Nazir Muharram, 43, and Rehmat.

Baghdadi SHO Abid Tanoli said that the incident was a result of infighting between two groups. He said that Baghdadi, Chakiwara and Kalri were the most troubled areas in Sunday’s violence.

As several localities reverberated with the sound of heavy gunfire, a woman, identified as Sobia, 23, wife of Samiullah, sustained bullet wounds in Baghdadi. A passer-by was shot dead while another wounded in the Dhobi Ghat area.

Garden SHO Saleemullah Khan said that Rafiullah Khan, 50, and Junaid Haroon, 25, were on their way on foot when they were fired upon allegedly by Lyari gangsters.

They were taken to the CHK where Rafiullah died during treatment, he added.

The city police chief said that initially the police faced some problems in reaching the Dhobi Ghat area. “As police and Rangers moved in, the situation was brought under control.”

DIG-South Dr Amir Sheikh said that the police and Rangers had vacated their eight to 10 pickets in the troubled areas of Lyari on Saturday evening following violent reactions by elements in Lyari in protest over the killing of an alleged criminal and a passer-by during a Rangers raid. “A third force took advantage of this situation,” said the DIG.

He said that it appeared that the ‘truce’ between the elements in Lyari and Kutchchi community had been broken now.

Two policemen shot dead Assailants sprayed a police mobile van with bullets, killing two policemen and wounding another in Patel Para on Sunday.

The incident came a day after the killing of three youths, including two activists of the Awami National Party, in the same area.

SSP East Imran Shaukat said that a police mobile van with three personnel was stationed near the Fatima Bai Hospital when four gunmen riding two motorcycles emerged there, opened indiscriminate fire and fled.

Constables Imran, 35, and Iqbal, 36, died from multiple bullet wounds while Amir, 34, was admitted to a private hospital in serious condition.

He said that the policemen were sitting in the vehicle and they could not return fire.

The SSP said that there was heavy deployment of law-enforcers in the area following the Saturday’s triple murder. There were five police mobiles on the same road but the assailants targeted the mobile which was stationed at the end.

About the motive and identity of the culprits, he said: “The attack was carried out by a gangster namely Khayam.”

He said that the suspect had a gang in the area.

He said that the killing of three persons in the locality on Saturday was a result of infighting between two groups.

SSP Shaukat said that the Khayam’s group had attacked members of other group around two weeks ago and in retaliation two members of his group were targeted on Saturday by their rival group.

“Based on eyewitnesses’ accounts, circumstantial evidence and intelligence reports, the police were conducting raids in different areas. Nine persons have been detained and one of them is being treated as a suspect in the policemen killing.”

He said that the heavy deployment was made to prevent clashes between ‘the two groups.’

Another policeman killed A policeman was shot dead in the Sachal area on Sunday evening.

Police said that Sadaruddin ended his duty at the District Central Headquarters and later got off from some public transport near Sohrab Goth, where his brother-in-law along with his wife and children was already waiting for him to pick him up to go home near Subzi Mandi.

As he was about to sit in the car, gunmen from behind fired a single shot that hit in the head. He died on the spot, said Sachal SHO Haroon Korai.

Electrician shot dead An electrician was shot dead in the Kharadar area on Sunday evening, police said.

Muhammad Nadeem, 42, was sitting at his shop near Akhund mosque when gunmen opened fire on him and fled.

He sustained three bullet wounds and was taken to the CHK where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.The victim was a resident of Garden-East.

The police said a deceased brother; Muhammad Aslam, lodged an FIR against unknown persons.

One killed in clash A man was shot dead while five others were wounded in an armed clash over the possession of a plot in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Sunday.

Police said that there was a land dispute between Pariyal Shah and Mir Muhammad in Hussain Hazara Goth, which tuned ugly on Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Syed Irfan Hussain. The body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for a post-mortem examination.

The wounded were Hafeez Chandio, 28, Ghulam Muhammad, 23, Imran Khan, 26, Nizamuddin, 22 and Riaz, 30.