KARACHI: Rangers and police personnel claim to have arrested at least eight alleged target killers during operations in several areas of Karachi on Saturday, DawnNews reported.

In the first operation carried out in Karachi’s Azizabad area, two alleged target killers were arrested.

According to a Rangers’ spokesperson, the arrested suspects belonged to a political party, adding that five sub-machine guns (SMGs), four rifles and 12 TT pistols were recovered from them in the raid.

Meanwhile, the paramilitary force cordoned off several areas in Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood and searched the residence of Amn Committee leader Aziz Jan Baloch, but no arrests were made.

Moreover, police and Rangers’ personnel conducted a joint targeted operation in the city’s Mauripur area and arrested three suspects said to have links with gang-wars. Security men furthermore recovered commando jackets and Kalashnikovs from the suspects.

Separately, three alleged target killers were arrested during a joint operation conducted by police and Rangers’ personnel near Gulistan Johar Chowrangi. The arrested suspects moreover confessed to two murders, security sources said.

Karachi, the largest metropolitan city of Pakistan, is riddled with targeted killings, gang wars, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and terrorism. Targeted operations are ongoing in Karachi under a directive issued by the federal government led by Rangers’ forces with the support of police against criminals already identified by federal military and civilian agencies.