KARACHI: Four police officials were killed and two others wounded within half an hour on Tuesday evening in gun attacks in the two neighbouring areas of Saddar and Arambagh.

The police believed the deadly attacks were a reaction to the killing of seven Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan militants by the law enforcement agencies in the city over the past two days.

The twin gun attacks were carried out only a day before the expected arrival of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif here to review the national action plan against terrorism.

Take a look: 4 TTP militants killed in Karachi ‘encounter’

With the latest killings, the number of policemen killed in Karachi has risen to 19 this year.

The police said three police officials were killed and another was wounded in an ambush on M.A. Jinnah Road, while one official was shot dead and another wounded on Shahrah-i-Liaquat.

According to the Preedy police, four policemen on a police patrol came under attack near Gul Plaza at the time of change of shift. Four suspects riding two motorbikes were involved in the attack, the police said.

The officials sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the nearby Civil Hospital Karachi, where doctors declared Assistant Sub-Inspector Riyasat, 50, and Constable Saeed, 40, dead on arrival, while Head Constable Rashid Ali, 40, died during treatment, said senior medico-legal officer Dr Nisar Shah.

The officer said police Constable Jehanzeb Khan, 35, was admitted for treatment. He said his condition was critical, as he sustained wounds in the chest and arm.

Shortly afterwards, two policemen patrolling the Arambagh area on a motorbike came under attack by four motorcyclists.

The deadly attack was carried out on Shahrah-i-Liaquat near Abbas Bakery, the officials said.

Head Constable Mohammed Shakeel, 40, who received a bullet to his chest, died before any medical aid could be provided to him. The body was shifted to the CHK for a post-mortem examination. The wounded policeman, Mujahid, was shifted to a private hospital where his condition was stated to be out of danger.

“These are the first attacks on policemen after a gap of around one and a half months. They seem to be a reaction to an aggressive action of law enforcers against the militants and other organised criminal gangs,” said additional Inspector General of Police, Karachi, Ghulam Qadir Thebo.

On Monday four suspected militants, including the chief and deputy chief of a banned TTP group, were killed in a joint operation by police and the Rangers in Surjani Town, the police chief said. The same day two hardened criminals were shot dead in Quaidabad in another encounter, he said. Earlier on Sunday three militants were gunned down in an exchange of fire with law enforcers in the Manghopir area, Mr Thebo added.

“The attacks, which are aimed at demoralising the police force, appear to be a reaction to the recent actions,” the police chief said.

He believed that the same set of suspects were involved in both the attacks on Tuesday evening.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2015

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