KARACHI: As many as 95 people, including 20 women, were wounded during aerial firing on the eve of Independence Day on late Tuesday night, police, hospital and rescue services officials said.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that 95 people who were shot and wounded during aerial firing were brought to three different hospitals in the city: SMBB Trauma Centre of Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), respectively.

She said 22 wounded persons, 17 men and five women, were brought to the CHK. They were aged between six years and 55 years. One of them was in critical condition.

Thirty-nine wounded persons, 33 men and six women, were brought to the JPMC. They were aged between five and 74 years, she said and added that a total of 34 other wounded, 25 men and nine women, were brought to the ASH for treatment. They were aged between six to 65 years.

Central SSP Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi said that they took action against aerial firing and arrested 14 suspects and cases were registered against them under relevant laws.

The Korangi police said that they had arrested five suspects over charges of aerial firing and FIRs were registered against them while East police said that they arrested six suspects in various localities. One of them, identified as Haris Iqbal, had resorted to firing with 9mm pistol and rifle in Sachal area and his video went viral on social media, which prompted the police to arrest him.

West-SSP Dr Hafeezur Rehman Bugti said that they had arrested five suspects as part of crackdown against aerial firing.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2024