PESHAWAR: The police arrested an addict of ice drug after a two hours long operation early on Thursday here as he took own children hostage after killing wife and mother.

The police said Izat Khan of Chargo Killay also injured his father, daughter and sister.

The gunman’s father, Redi Gul, told police that his son came home armed with a pistol and opened fire causing him a chest injury and killing his wife.

He said the son later went to his room and fired bullets at own wife, Nazakat Bibi, injuring her.

Mr Gul said the gunman also injured his 30-year-old sister and eight-year-old daughter before taking two children hostage in the room for two hours.

The police rescued them.

SP (rural circle) Ali bin Tariq told Dawn that the police rushed to the house after learning about the incident and cordoned it off.

He said the gunman refused to speak to the police despite the latter’s repeated attempts to engage him and fired five to six shots from the room, where he had shut himself.

“It was a big challenge to arrest the accused and rescue the children unharmed as he had already killed two people,” he said.

Mr Tariq said the police lobbed a gas grenade into the room through a windowpane forcing the accused to step out before he was arrested.

He said the police also rescued the children taken hostage by their father in addition to six others, who had shut themselves in another room due to the firing.

The SP said the accused was arrested with the pistol he used to kill family members.

He said the operation lasted around two hours as the police tried to rescue hostages alive and well besides arresting the gunman.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2019