KARACHI, May 19: Police on Wednesday arrested alleged ring leader of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami after a shootout in Buffer Zone, and seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition and literature about making bombs.

A woman passerby was hit by a bullet and killed during the encounter between the suspect and the police. The suspect, identified as Kamran alias Atif alias Khalid alias Uncle alias Bhaijan, was carrying the head money of Rs3 million and was involved in the US consulate bombing in June 2002, and a foiled attempt on President Pervez Musharraf's life near the airport.

"It is our great success as the arrested man was the commander of the banned organization. We have badly dented the network of the militant group," DSP Raja Omar Khattab of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) told Dawn on Wednesday.

He said the CID came to know that Kamran had five hideouts in different localities of the city and the CID police started surveillance of his three hideouts. On Wednesday noon, Kamran, along with his accomplice Junaid, came to his hideout in Buffer Zone.

The CID police scaled the walls and as the personnel entered the house, the suspects sensed danger and started firing at the police. The fire was returned and the suspects jumped off the first floor of the house from the rear side and ran away. The police chased them to a considerable distance and an exchange of fire continued.

Mr Omar said that Kamran suffered a bullet to his hip and fell to the ground. However, Junaid managed to escape. Despite being injured, Kamran kept on firing at the police. A woman passerby suffered a bullet wound and died on the spot. Her body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for autopsy.

He said that the police arrested Kamran in injured condition and on his lead, the police recovered a huge quantity of arms, ammunition and explosive. Later, Kamran was sent to a hospital for treatment where his condition was stated to be stable.

According to the police spokesman, the recovery included five RPG-7 shells and its five launchers, a videocassette bomb containing 250grams of explosive with magnate, four telephone set bombs, one Kalashnikov with 200 rounds, and circuit breakers.

Earlier on April 12, police had arrested six activists of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami in Manzoor Colony and recovered weapons from them. Besides, on April 6, Sindh IG Syed Kamal Shah at a press conference had announced the arrest of nine activists of the same banned group in Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Boat Basin areas.

Among nine, Mohammad Atif alias Kamran, was also named as the most wanted suspect. The Sindh IG was contacted to comment on the matter, but his staff officer, who picked up the phone said: "The police chief is busy in a meeting and cannot attend a call."