KARACHI: A former Karachi chief of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a ‘would-be suicide bomber’ and six other alleged militants were killed in an ‘encounter’ with police on the outskirts of the city’s Malir area in the early hours of Wednesday, according to officials.

The police also seized a ‘laptop bomb’, weapons and ammunition from the deceased following the exchange of fire that lasted half an hour in Rahimdad Goth near Malir’s Bakra Piri, the officials added.

They said the police conducted a raid on the hideout of militants linked with banned militant outfits, TTP and Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA), who, according to intelligence agencies, were planning major terrorist acts at sensitive installations, said Malir SSP Rao Anwar.

There are many sensitive installations in nearby areas such as Malir Courts, Landhi jail, better known as Malir prison, and Karachi airport, but it could not be determined immediately as to what their real target was, the officer explained.

‘Laptop bomb’ seized during the operation conducted on information about the presence of banned TTP, Jamaatul Ahrar in Malir

A residential compound hemmed in on all sides by agricultural land in Rahimdad Goth was being encircled by a police contingent when militants opened fire on them in a bid to flee, the Malir SSP added.

In an ensuing encounter, eight suspects were killed, said the senior police officer. One of them was later identified as Gul Zaman, who had served as TTP chief in Karachi before moving to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where he was TTP chief of district Tank, the officer said.

SSP Anwar said the militant had been residing in Jinjal Goth near Gulshan-i-Maymar before the launch of the Rangers-led targeted operation in Karachi. He had been involved in the killing of law-enforcement agencies’ personnel, kidnapping for ransom and other heinous crimes.

Another deceased individual, too, was a militant of the banned TTP, the officer said, adding that he was identified as Taj Mohammed alias Lala. He had allegedly killed several policemen in Sohrab Goth besides being involved in kidnapping for ransom incidents, particularly targeting factory owners in Karachi.

The Malir SSP said that among the eight militants was a youngster, aged 16, who was suspected to be a would-be suicide bomber, as they had received intelligence reports that the outlawed JuA was planning a suicide attack.

He said that investigation was under way to ascertain the identity of the other suspects killed in the exchange of fire.

The officer said this was the first time that they had recovered a ‘laptop bomb’ during the combing operation after the deadly encounter. The laptop bomb could have been used to carry out a terrorist attack, he added.

He said the police also seized arms and ammunition from the deceased.

Body found

The charred body of a man in his early 40s was found under a bridge in Old Golimar on Wednesday, police said.

The victim had been killed and his body burnt beyond recognition before being thrown from the Love Lane Bridge in Rexer Line, said Old Golimar SHO Abdullah Bhutto.

The corpse was shifted to the Edhi morgue at Sohrab Goth for want of identification after autopsy conducted at the Civil Hospital Karachi.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2017