KARACHI, Dec 7: Nine people, including three unidentified youths and two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, were gunned down in different targeted attacks on Friday, police said.

The three youths’ bodies stuffed in gunny bags were found at around 7am in an auto-rickshaw parked outside gate No. 4 of the Karachi Zoological Garden within the jurisdiction of the Garden police station.

Police shifted the bodies to the Civil Hospital Karachi without removing the gunny bags. “The bodies have not yet been identified by anyone but they look like ethnic Baloch from their appearance and features,” said Garden ASP Mufakir Adeel.

“We’ve obtained fingerprints of the bodies for the purpose of identification,” he said. The victims’ ages ranged from 24 to 28 years and they had been shot in the head with a single bullet each, he said, adding there were no other torture marks on the bodies.

The auto-rickshaw bearing registration number D-84687 had been snatched in a locality falling within the remit of the Nabi Bukhsh police station on Wednesday night and the incident had been reported to police.

Sources in the civil hospital said the bodies were trussed up and their mouths were gagged with a tape. It seemed the victims had been put to death immediately after their kidnapping somewhere in the old city area, said police.

The bodies were shifted to the Edhi morgue after having undergone medico-legal formalities at the hospital.

Earlier, two MQM activists were gunned down in different incidents by gunmen in the old city area of Napier late on Thursday night.

Two more activists of the MQM were gunned down on Friday.

According to police, Mohammad Safeer, 20, was hit in the head while standing outside his house in Ibrahim Villas within the remit of the Al-Falah police station late on Thursday night. He was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where he died on Friday morning.

The station house officer of the Al-Falah police station, Sarfaraz Gondal, said the victim was a second year student of intermediate and an active member of the MQM. Tension gripped the Al Falah locality after the killing.

The other MQM activist was shot dead by motorcycle-riding assailants at Nishan-i-Haider Chowk in Sector 11 of Orangi Town within the remit of the Pakistan Bazaar police station on Friday.

Nasir Fareed, 35, was passing through the area on his motorcycle when he came under attack. He was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. He had suffered two gunshot wounds, said police.

The victim lived in Madina Colony, Sector 11 of Orangi Town and was worker of MQM’s unit 120, said police.

Shops and markers were shuttered after the killing.

Labourer gunned down

A labourer who had recently arrived in the city from Swat was killed in New Muzaffarabad Colony near Tauheedi Mosque in the Quaidabad area on Friday.

Iqbal Zada, 28, was walking homewards after offering Friday prayers when the attackers, lying in wait for him in the street, opened fire on him and fled, said police.

The victim suffered fatal gunshot wounds and died on the spot. Police said the deceased was a labourer and had arrived in the city just two weeks ago from Swat.

Rickshaw driver shot dead

A rickshaw driver, Sarmandh Khan, 30, was shot dead by gunmen in Mianwali Colony of Pirabad area on Friday when he was passing through the area in his tri-wheeler.

The victim was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he died before getting medial help. He lived in Islamia Colony and belonged to Swat, said police, suspecting the murder might be an offshoot of a personal enmity.

Estate agent killed

An estate agent, Jehanzeb Khan, 50, was killed by motorcycle-riding attackers in Janjal Goth in Shorab Goth area on Friday when he was going somewhere on his bike.

The victim suffered two gunshot wounds and died on the spot. His body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Police said the killing appeared to be linked to the victim’s trade as he had been into several property related disputes. He was father of six and had come from Bajaur, said police.

Motorcycle-riders kill man

A man was killed by motorcycle-riding assailants in Machhar Colony within the remit of the Docks police station on Friday night.

Jehanzaib, 45, who was a driver by profession and father of two, suffered two fatal wounds and died before he could be taken to a hospital, said police.

The victim had married out of his community, SHO Madad Ali Zardari said, citing it as a possible motive for the killing.

Police shifted the body to the Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal formalities.