KARACHI: Police killed three more suspected militants in an ‘encounter’ on Sunday in a sign of an upsurge in action against militants in the wake of the two bomb attacks — on Rangers and a Bohra mosque — on Friday. They had gunned down five suspected militants in ‘encounters’ late on Saturday night.

The suspected militants, including their ringleader, who were allegedly involved in terrorist attacks on security forces in Fata, were shot dead in the Sohrab Goth locality on Sunday evening, said police officials.

Police acted on a tip-off received from an intelligence agency and conducted a raid in Jamali Goth behind Quetta Town where they came under attack, leading to an exchange of fire, in which the three suspects were killed. Their four accomplices escaped, said Malir SSP Rao Anwar.

One of the dead was identified as Qudratullah, alias Commander Sher, who was head of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Karachi. “Commander Sher was involved in terrorist attacks on security forces in Waziristan, Khyber Agency and Mohmand Agency,” he said.

He was also involved in kidnapping for ransom and extortion in the city. The two other dead were identified as Akhtar Wali and Hayatullah, who hailed from Mohmand Agency and Waziristan, respectively.

Police claimed to have seized five bags of explosive material, a hand grenade, a rocket launcher and other arms and ammunition from their custody.

According to intelligence reports, SSP Anwar said, after reported merger of four TTP factions, the militants in the metropolis had been given different tasks of targeting police and Rangers personnel, vital installations and security officials.

On Saturday night, law enforcers killed five militants in two separate encounters in Manghopir and Orangi Town.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2015

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