ISLAMABAD: In two separate incidents of targeted attacks in the capital on Monday, two people were shot dead while gunmen opened fire at a vehicle carrying two murder accused.

Both incidents happened despite high alert declared due to Imam Husain’s Chehlum procession.

Islamabad has seen four attacks in as many days, with two incidents taking place on Monday. Three people were assassinated and four injured in the two previous targeted attacks.

According to police, two motorcycle riders intercepted two persons in G-13 and began indiscriminate firing at them. As a result, both sustained three bullet injuries each. The attackers were able to escape from the spot, the police said, adding that the deceased were identified from their CNICs.

One of them was identified as Ejaz, 28, a native of Peshawar, and the other was Siddiq, an aged man, a native of Charsadda.

In second incident on same day, gunmen fire at vehicle carrying murder accused

No further details of the victims are available so far and their families have also not been traced. Police said circumstances suggested that they were shot dead to avenge an enmity.

Furthermore, gunmen targeted a vehicle carrying two persons, arrested in a murder case, back to a police station from the lower court. However, no loss of life or injury was reported.

A team from the Golra police station produced the two accused in the lower court seeking their remand, the police said. In response, they were given in police custody on a three-day physical remand.

The police used a private car for a round trip to the lower court from the police station. When they reached near the marquees in E-11, gunmen opened fire on their vehicle.

The police retaliated but the attackers escaped from the spot, the police said. Shortly after getting information, patrolling teams and officials of the police station reached there and the accused were shifted to the police station.

A police officer said the number of attackers and what vehicle they used (a car or motorcycle) was yet to be established. All officers were busy in security duty for the Chehlum procession so no one got time to respond to the incident, he added.

Besides, it is also yet to be established whether the attack was carried out to kill the accused or set them free, he added.

Superintendent of Police (Saddar Zone) Nosherewan Ali said the two suspects were arrested five days ago in connection with the murder of a man that took place in May.

The circumstances suggest that it was a targeted attack conducted to kill the accused in revenge for the murder they committed, Mr Ali said.

The police said a man - Abrar, a resident of Mera Aku, was killed and two others were injured over a land dispute on Golra Road on May 21.

The deceased was a nephew of a local government representative affiliated with a political party, they added.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2021