Lyari Grenade Attack: Rangers arrest three suspects in raids

KARACHI: Paramilitary Rangers arrested three suspects in raids in Lyari and Garden areas of Karachi, a spokesman said on Friday.

The rangers conducted raids after a recent grenade attack in Lyari, the spokesman said in a statement.

The paramilitary force had constituted a special team to investigate the grenade attack in Nayabad area of Lyari, statement said.

The rangers personnel conducted raids in Lyari and Garden areas in the light of the investigation and arrested three accused Abdul Aziz, Majid and Sohail alias Sunny.

The accused were involved in extortion in Lyari’s Khadda Market and the adjoining areas, the spokesman said.

They had hurled hand grenade at a medical store after their extortion demand was refused, according to the rangers spokesman.

The accused had also left a pamphlet of an outlawed group near the store.

The suspects have confessed to work as facilitators of Sheeraz Zikri gang.

Lyari Gang War

In October last year notorious gangster Ghaffar Zikri was killed along with an accomplice and his 3-year-old son in Ali Muhammed Muhallah of Lyari.

The police team carried out a successful operation in Lyari leaving the ‘most wanted’ gangster Ghaffar Zikri and one of his aides, Chhota Zahid killed. A three-year old son of the gangster also died in the shootout.

During the operation, three police officers were injured.

Ghaffar Zikri, a symbol of terror in Lyari, was wanted to police in over 100 cases, which include murder, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and other heinous crimes. The government had announced Rs. 2.5 million bounty for Zikri’s head.

Ghaffar Zikri was one of the key players of Lyari gang war including Rehman Dakait,, Uzair Baloch, Baba Ladla and Arshad Pappu.

In previous year, gang war leader Uzair Baloch and chief of the proscribed People’s Amn Committee was taken into military custody on charges of espionage.