GUJRANWALA: The city division police claimed on Wednesday to have gunned down an alleged terrorist in an encounter on Sheikhupura Road, while his accomplice managed to escape.

Police also recovered a suicide jacket.

City Police Officer (CPO) Waqas Nazir told reporters that terrorists had entered the city on Wednesday on the eve of Youm-i-Ali. Law-enforcement agencies, including the Sabzi Mandi police, raided the mini stadium where the terrorists were allegedly hiding. When the team entered the stadium and ordered them to surrender, they opened fire.

In retaliation, one of the suspects who was wearing a suicide jacket was killed while his accomplice managed to escape.

Nazir said bomb disposal squad defused the suicide jacket.

He said several teams of police were chasing the absconder.

Bomb disposal squad in-charge Ubaidullah said the suicide jacket was made locally with 5kg of explosive material.

The CPO further said some terrorists had attacked Imambargah Zainabia and other places last Ramazan and killed three people. The Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Crimes Investigation Agency police and special branch had informed them that some terrorists were planning an attack on the martyrdom day of Hazrat Ali (AS) on Thursday (today).

The CPO added that police had set up pickets on all roads leading to the city.

He said the body of the alleged terrorist killed in the “encounter” had been shifted to the DHQ Hospital and it could not be identified till the filing of this report.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play