Gunfight breaks out during police raid on Gizri bungalow

KARACHI: A raid at a bungalow in Karachi's Gizri area turned into a gunfight after an unidentified suspect opened fire at the cops, leaving two of them wounded on Saturday.

The suspected gunman was later arrested. The injured include a deputy superintendent of police (DSP).

The raid was conducted by officials of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) — a specialised unit of the Karachi police responsible for tackling cases related to murder and extortion — on a tip-off following the abduction of a young man.

Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Muquddus Haider told the media that an armed man opened fire at the team raiding the bungalow. He added that a DSP and an official were injured due to the firing.

The wounded cops were shifted to the hospital for treatment, he added.

Following the heavy firing, police officials cordoned off the bungalow and summoned additional reinforcements, including an armoured personnel carrier (APC).

Later, the cops managed to arrest the suspected gunman and recovered a cache of weapons, ammunition and liquor from his possession.

However, police found no clue to the whereabouts of the abducted youth Mustafa Amir.

In a separate statement, the Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) deputy chief said the raid was jointly conducted by the police and the CPLC officials at the bungalow in Phase V of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

He further added that they carried out the raid after obtaining search warrants in connection with the abduction of a citizen from the Darakhshan neighbourhood on January 6.

"Firing suddenly started from the bungalow when the cops rushed to the scene," the officer said, adding that DSP Ahsan Zulfiqar and an official were wounded in the exchange of fire.

The CPLC deputy chief further stated that the suspect was arrested after four hours of efforts.