KARACHI, March 5: Three more people were killed on Wednesday in parts of mafia-infested Lyari, where tension and panic prevailed since Tuesday following clashes between rival gangsters.

Police confirmed the killing of two people, while the Edhi sources said they had also shifted a third body of a young man to the Civil Hospital.

Hospital sources said two young men were brought dead from parts of Lyari. They said that the victims, one of them identified as Namroz Khan Afshani, had received multiple bullet wounds. The other victim remained unknown, the sources said.

They said the body of a young man was brought to the hospital, but those who brought it took it away without a postmortem.

The sources said at least four people with gunshot wounds were also brought to the hospital. They were identified as Abdur Razzak, Iftikhar, Azeem and Farhan.

Residents said the entire area wore a deserted look with shops closed and traffic off the streets as parts of Kalakot, Chakiwara, Baghdadi and Kalri reverberated with heavy gunfire till late into Tuesday night following scattered clashes between rival groups and an attack on Imambargah Altaf Hussain that left at least one man dead and nine others injured.

Baghdadi police said the victim was one of the caretakers of Imambargah Altaf Hussain in Nayabad who was killed when a group of armed men opened fire on the building.

The body of 40-year-old Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi was taken to the Civil Hospital late on Tuesday night where Medico-legal Officer Dr Mehboob Ali told Dawn that the victim had received a bullet that pierced his heart.

Police registered a case against Viryaam, Sajid, Baba Tankywala, Kamran, Ayaz, Shahzad and Bala on the complaint of the victim’s brother.

Baghdadi SHO Haji Sanaullah said the victim belonged to the Pakistan People’s Party. “Trouble started after a man belonging to another political party desecrated the wall of the Imambargah,” he added.

He said at least four people sustained bullet wounds as the two groups exchanged gunfire at the Imambargah.

Baghdadi police arrested on Wednesday a suspect in the killing of a man in an attack on the Imambargah in Lyari which remained in the grip of tension and panic till late Tuesday night.

They said the Baghdadi SHO arrested one of the suspects, Viryaam, as he boarded a Hub-bound bus to escape.

The police said efforts were being made to track down the other suspects, some of whom belonged to a political party and the others, sons of policemen, living in the police quarters in Lyari.

They said Viryam’s father, Altaf Hussain, was also a policeman.

The attack on the Imambargah caused tension in certain localities across the city, and police stepped up security.

Body found

The body of a young man was found at a desolate place near the Lyari Expressway.

Gulshan-i-Maymar police said the body was lying near the Malir riverbed.

It was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where sources said the man was hit by bullets in his legs and he died due to excessive bleeding.

The sources said the victim was in his late 30s.

Shot dead

A 35-year-old junk dealer was shot dead and his guest injured by unknown attackers in Orangi Town.

Police said Bashir, a Pathan hailing from Quetta, and his friend from his hometown, Sadiq, were shot at when they were asleep in the junk dealer’s house in Sector 1-D.

They said Bashir died on the spot, and his injured friend was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed hospital.

A Suzuki pickup driver was found shot dead near Pehlwan Goth in the small hours of Wednesday morning.

Gulistan-i-Jauhar police said victim Khiyal Mohammed, resident of Dhani Bux Goth, was believed to have been shot dead in his vehicle during his struggle with dacoits.

They said the man was on way to the New Sabzi Mandi as per his routine.

Suspect killed

Defence police killed a suspect in a shootout.

They said three dacoits barged into the house of Ahad Qureshi, a commercial pilot, and looted cash and jewellery.

The police said one of the neighbours called the police to inform them about the presence of dacoits, and a police party rushed to the spot.

They said the dacoits, who had come out of the house by the time police reached there, opened fire on the law enforcers.

The police party also returned fire and hit one of the dacoits, while two others fled the scene under the cover of fire.

They said a TT pistol and some looted jewellery were seized from the suspect.