KARACHI: Four suspected militants were killed in an ‘encounter’ near Abul Hasan Asfahani Road in the limits of Sachal police on Monday night, officials said.

The shootout between the law enforcers and militants took place hours after the targeted killing of a traffic policeman in the area, said Malir SSP Rao Anwar. Another traffic policeman was injured in the incident.

The police conducted a raid in Rufi Pearl City off Superhighway where the encounter took place.

The SSP claimed that an intelligence agency had traced a call according to which some militants were planning to carry out a terrorist attack on law enforcers who were expected to visit the place where the traffic personnel were targeted.

The SSP identified two of the deceased as Mulla Akbar Swati, ‘commander’ of the banned Tehreek Taliban (Swat), and Humayun who belonged to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

He said that Swati was involved in attacks on security personnel in Metroville, Karachi, and Swat. He had fled to Afghanistan and returned to Karachi recently.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2017