KARACHI: Amid claims of “high alert” and “tight security” by the police authorities and security establishment, miscreants lobbed a hand grenade at a residential building in Lyari leaving one woman injured on Tuesday.

Police said 30-year-old Gul Nisa was injured when two men riding a motorbike hurled a hand grenade at the entrance of a building in Afshani Gali and sped away. The huge blast triggered panic and fear in the densely-populated neighbourhood, the officials added.

“It was primarily meant to trigger panic and fear,” said an official at the Kalakot police station. “The injured woman received minor wounds and was released by the Civil Hospital Karachi after due treatment. It seems to be result of a rivalry between two criminal gangs who accuse each other of being supporters of law-enforcement agencies.”

Although the fresh attack did not cause much damage, it came at a time when the Sindh police, almost every day, make claims about strong security measures to deal with the renewed wave of terrorism sweeping across the country. On the day of the blast, Sindh IG A.D. Khowaja had ordered police officers to ensure foolproof security measures in the city in the wake of the Charsadda incident.

“The Sindh IGP called all SHOs for enhancing motorcycle patrolling, snap-checking and strengthening advance intelligence collection systems in their respective areas and to take stern action against criminals,” said a statement issued by the central police office. “He has further directed the DIGs to supervise the security steps in their areas. The Sindh IG has issued directives to all policemen to wear bulletproof jackets and other safety gadgets during duty hours.”

Tuesday’s blast came as the second such attack in less than two weeks as on Feb 12, a police van came under a similar assault in North Nazimabad. Minutes after that attack an assistant cameraman of Samaa TV, Taimur Khan, was killed in firing on a DSNG van near KDA Chowrangi.

Meanwhile, two more suspects, who had been killed in an ‘encounter’ in Shah Latif Town late on Sunday night, were identified on Tuesday as Yasinullah and Wahid Alam alias Chotoo, said a spokesperson of the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh.

The suspects were associated with the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi.

Three killed in Landhi

In Landhi, three suspected criminals were killed in a shoot-out with police who had cordoned off the Lalabad area in the small hours of Tuesday on reports about the presence of some armed bandits and criminal elements in the area, officials said.

While policemen were busy taking positions, the armed men opened fire on them. In an ensuing exchange of gunfire, three militants were killed, the officials added.

The police seized arms and valuables from the deceased criminals. The bodies were later moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medico-legal formalities.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2017