KARACHI: A woman was killed when she got caught in crossfire between police and robbers in Orangi Town on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Orangi Town SHO Rizwan Patel said two robbers snatched cell phones from as many citizens near the Sindh Government Qatar Hospital in Sector7-D.

As they were fleeing, a police patrol reached the scene. Sensing danger, the robbers panicked and resorted to firing to ensure their escape, he added.

He said that one of the bullets, fired by the robbers, hit a woman passer-by, later identified as 50-year-old Nazia Anjum. She was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where doctors declared her dead.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said that she suffered a bullet wound in the neck that proved fatal.

West SSP Dr Hafeezur Rehman said that the police chased the robbers and exchanged gunfire but they managed to escape.

He said that the victim woman was accompanied by her husband and they were on their way to the Qatar Hospital to inquire after the health of a relative admitted there.

Two suspects held in ‘encounters’

Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested two suspected robbers in wounded condition in different parts of the city.

They said that an encounter between the police and two suspected criminals took place in Azizabad Block 2 near Karachi Academy in which one suspect suffered bullet wound and was taken into custody. He was identified as Faheem.

In Gulshan-i-Iqbal, an encounter took place between the police and criminals as a result of which one suspect, later identified as Jansher Gul, was arrested in wounded condition.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2024