Sindh’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), in collaboration with a federally based intelligence agency, gunned down two notorious terrorists of the banned ISIS in a slum area of Karachi. Four officials were also injured during the shootout.
Officials said that a federally based intelligence agency had been in coordination with the Sindh CTD as regards the presence of terrorists in Karachi, especially in the slum areas situated along the highways of the city.
The intelligence agency was tipped off about the presence of terrorists in a locality situated near Taiser Town, Northern Bypass, and the information was shared with the CTD, following which they carried out a joint operation at around 3:30am on Saturday.
On seeing the police, the terrorists opened fire on the law enforcers, resulting in a huge gunfight. During the exchange of fire, four personnel of the CTD were injured. They are under treatment at the hospital.
The police managed to arrest two wounded terrorists, who were later moved to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival. The encounter with the terrorists lasted until 7am.
Officials said that the killed terrorists were later identified as Aymal Shah and Abdullah Mamnun, both of whom were previously associated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan but were presently associated with the banned Daesh, and were wanted in several terrorism cases.
CTD sources say that the area has been cordoned off, while more personnel have been called in for a search operation.
During the search of the terrorists’ hideout, the police recovered arms, ammunition and other relevant things, including two 9mm pistols, detonators, C4 explosive used in IEDs, magnets, and hundred of bullets and hand grenades.
According to the sources, the C4 explosive found is in a large enough quantity to be used for about five suicide jackets.
They said the IED magnets found can be fixed under vehicles and can carry the weight of IED up to five kilogrammes. Officials said the killed terrorists were the masterminds of two major acts of terrorism, including the one that occurred at Quetta’s Serena Hotel in 2021.
The killed terrorists had been operating the network of Daesh from Balochistan, and had been presently hiding in Karachi for terrorism. Officials said that their initial investigations suggest the terrorists had come to Karachi a week ago. IGP visits CTD cops
Sindh police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon visited the Aga Khan University Hospital to ask after the CTD’s Raja Irfan, Arshad Khan, Maula Bakhsh Khan and Aamir Rafiq, who were injured in the encounter with terrorists.
The IGP was accompanied by the CTD Addl IG, the CTD DIG, the East SSP, the operation SSPs, the welfare AIG, CTD incharge Raja Umar Khattab and Mazhar Mashwani.
Memon instructed the CTD Addl IG to prepare a list to award medals and cash rewards to the injured police personnel, and cash prizes and appreciation certificates to all the other members of the police team, and send them for necessary actions.
The IGP also met the relatives of the injured police personnel at the hospital and assured them that the Sindh police are always present and busy to provide all the medical facilities to restore the health of the injured as soon as possible.
He also interacted with the hospital management and doctors, and asked them to ensure that all possible medical facilities are provided to the injured police personnel. No effort should be spared in bringing every one of them back to a healthy life as soon as possible, he said.