KARACHI: Police on Thursday claimed to have killed a 'commander' of the militant Islamic State (IS) group, Kamran Gujjar, in an encounter in Karachi's Manghopir area.

The suspect is said to have confessed to his involvement in target killings, grenade attacks and bank robberies.

According to a press release issued by Sindh police, District West police and CIA personnel, acting on a tip-off, launched a search operation in Ittehad Town area where the raiding party came under fire. One of the attackers and two policemen were severely injured during the 'encounter'.

The attacker was identified as Kamran Aslam Gujjar, a 'trained Daesh commander' who had also worked for Al Qaeda in the subcontinent (AQIS) in the past and was carrying a bounty of Rs2.5 million on his head.

Also Read: No Daesh in Pakistan, says interior minister

Kamran Gujjar was shifted to a hospital where he died during treatment.

Police claimed to have recovered a sub-machine gun, three hand grenades and explosive material from his possession.

Deathbed confessions

According to the police statement, the suspect confessed his involvement in killing a number of people including DSP Abdul Fatah Sangri who was shot dead along with his driver head constable Nazeer Ahmed and security guard constable Farooq Ahmed in Karachi's Malir district in May 2015.

Related: DSP, guard and driver gunned down in Malir district

Other high profile murders include MQM leader and KESC officer Farhan Khalil, whom the suspect allegedly confessed killing through a magnetic bomb in 2013.

Related: KESC official among seven killed in Karachi violence

Gujjar allegedly admitted to his involvement in a list of other criminal and terrorist activities, including grenade attacks and bank robberies, while he was being shifted to a hospital.

The suspect claimed that he had recently joined Daesh but could not carry out any major terrorist activity under the militant group's banner, according to the police statement.

The four-page statement further said that that Safoora carnage suspect Tahir Hussain Minhas alias Sain had told police about Kamran Gujjar and his involvement in a number of subversive activities.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...