KARACHI: Six suspects allegedly involved in highway robberies and rape of women passengers were shot dead in an alleged encounter off the Superhighway on Monday, police and hospital officials said.

They added that contingents of police, including some in civilian clothes, stormed a warehouse at the Ganna Mandi in Sohrab Goth at around 2pm. On seeing the policemen, the suspects opened fire in their attempt to escape, which was returned by the police. During the exchange of fire, which continued for around 45 minutes, six suspects were killed, said Sohrab Goth SHO Ismail Lashari.

“We received six men, all brought dead at the mortuary of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital by the Sohrab Goth police,” said a hospital official. The dead men were aged from 22 to 35 years, added the official. Each of all had sustained six to seven bullet wounds on their bodies.

He said the killed men were allegedly involved in hijacking buses and coaches, looting their passengers and even raping some women victims, including a bride.

They hijacked vehicles on the Superhighway and brought them to the warehouse where they looted cash and jewellery from women passengers. Sometimes they allegedly subjected women to criminal assaults, said the Sohrab Goth official.

He said that around a month back, the suspects hijacked a bus on the Superhighway and allegedly raped two young women hailing from Moro taluka. Later on the two rape victims committed suicide, added the officer.

Ismail Lashari said the killed suspects had also allegedly hijacked a bus carrying members of a wedding party around two and half months back. They snatched gold ornaments from the bride and others and later on they allegedly subjected the bride to criminal assault also.

The Sohrab Goth SHO said the dead men belonged to a gang of highway robbers comprising 16 to 17 members. He said he believed that the ring leader, Landak, might have links with suspected militants in the area, but the killed suspects were mainly involved in robberies and rape.

The police claimed to have seized two Kalashnikov assault rifles, two TT pistols, two repeaters and a hand grenade.

The SHO identified two of the killed men as Khudadad, 30, and Tahir Khan, 30. Later, the other dead men were identified as Wali Mohammed, 32, Mohammed Saleem, 25, Naseebullah, 30, and Abdul Manan, 28.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2014