KARACHI: Police on Wednesday claimed to have killed seven suspected militants and arrested one in injured condition in a raid conducted following firing and a blast in Afghan Basti near Suhrab Goth, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives, SSP Malir Rao Anwar said the militants of proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) Waliur Rehman group were killed after a police encounter that lasted for two hours.

He said the action was taken upon reports of presence of ten militants in Afghan Basti, adding that a suspect was arrested in injured condition while two others managed to escape through Malir River.

The dead and injured were later shifted to Abbasi Shahid Hospital.

Police officials also claimed to have recovered weapons, hand grenades and home-made tennis-ball bombs in large quantity. The recovered ball bombs were also presented before the media.

SSP Anwar said that same home-made bombs had been used in attacks on Sohrab Goth Police Station and Al-Asif Police Checkpost.

It may be mentioned that law enforcers have apprised the Supreme Court in written about hindrance they face in raiding Afghan Basti due to presence of TTP’s Waliur Rehman group. Dead bodies belonging to the militant group have also been recovered from different deserted areas of the port city in the past.

Meanwhile, deteriorating law and order and increasing incidents of targeted killings were discussed in a meeting headed by the DG Rangers in Karachi.

The meeting decided to expedite the ongoing targeted operation against criminals and terrorists in the city. More cooperation among all law enforcing forces for the next phase of operation was also agreed upon in the meeting.