Thirteen people were killed and 24 injured in Malir, Landhi, Quaidabad and other areas on Friday in a fresh wave of violence in Karachi. Around 7 am, a group of armed men, carrying heavy weapons and highly sensitive communication devices entered Malir and Landhi and took positions in the areas hitherto dominated by MQM.
The armed assailants who showed up with a convoy of highly expensive vehicles such as double-cabin jeeps and CG 125 motorbikes first stormed Ghazi Town and Aleemabad of district Malir in an early morning attack. The attackers, who were found roaming freely in different areas of Malir, reportedly targeted the unit and sector offices of the MQM. Tension gripped parts of the Malir district where intense armed clashes between the two groups were witnessed, forcing the residents to stay indoors. All commercial and social activities came to a grinding halt. Several stationary vehicles in these areas were badly damaged because of crossfire. Heavy contingent of police and paramilitary rangers were sent to the affected areas but they could not bring the situation under control till late in the evening.
Residents told BR that the armed men, who came from slum areas of Malir, returned to their hideouts after they failed to penetrate the area. The residents alleged the attackers were hiding in Bahoo Goth, Asoo Goth and Jokhio Goth.
They said the attackers, who targeted the houses of political workers, gunned down four activists namely Nadeem, Niaz, Naseer and Azeem. The unit offices including 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 and 100 of Karachi's largest political party also come under attack.
The residents said although they informed LEAs about the passageway from where the culprits fled the area, the LEAs didn't take any notice. Nine persons including six political activists were killed in the violence.
Another violent episode was witnessed in Landhi where armed men tried to take over the unit office of MQM but remained unsuccessful because of strong resistance. The armed clash left three assailants dead.
Police said two activists of Awami National Party (ANP) namely Mustaqeem and Akram Khan were killed in Landhi and Quaidabad areas while an activist of Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) namely Iqbal alias Ballo was also gunned down in Quaidabad. Unidentified miscreants torched a house of MQM-H worker Maqbool alias Maqboola at Model Colony.
Meanwhile, Additional IG Saud Mirza said there were reports that MQM-H along with the members of Peoples' Amn Committee (PAC) tried to enter the area to get control of it, which led to a gun-battle, resulting in the killing of over a dozen persons and injuries to several others.
DIG East Akram Naeem Baroka said that around 7 am, unidentified armed men entered Malir and its adjoining areas and started indiscriminate firing.
He said heavy contingents of police and Rangers brought the situation under control. He added that some areas of Malir and Landhi were still tense where heavy gunshots were being heard.
He said LEAs had been deployed at all sensitive points. Police surgeon Dr Hamid Padhiar said 10 bodies and 15 injured were brought to JPMC while 2 bodies were transported to Sindh Government Hospital Malir and rest to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Those killed have been identified as Niaz Muhammad, Muhammad Ibrahim, Akram, Akbar Ali, Naseer Ahmed, Azeem, Jamshed, Nadeem, Murtaza, Iqbal, Ikram, Khalid and Shafiq, Nabi Khan and an unknown.
Scores of people also staged a protest demonstration in Malir against the violence.
Later, President Asif Zardari summoned Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan at Bilawal House where he reviewed Karachi's law and order situation.
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