Crossfire victim Amal was killed by small firearm: report

The bullet that killed a minor girl during crossfire between police and robbers in Defence area on Monday night had been fired from a small firearm, said a medical report on Wednesday.

Talking to The News, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Omer Shahid Hamid of District South said seven-year-old Amal was killed in the exchange of crossfire between muggers and cops near the Akhtar Colony traffic signal on Korangi Road.

After the shocking incident, the girl’s body was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for a postmortem examination to ascertain whose firearm had fired the bullet. SSP Hamid added that on Wednesday the medico-legal report was received that confirmed that the girl was killed by a small firearm bullet. He said they had also sent samples for FSL of the victim’s father’s car to the Forensic Division of the Sindh police that would also confirm which bullet had pierced the vehicle and whether it had been fired from a pistol or a submachine gun.

Forensic division officials have assured of submitting the report within 24 hours. SSP Hamid said that the identity of the robber killed in the shootout was yet to be ascertained, and they had dispatched samples to the National Database Registration Authority’s office for verification through his fingerprints, and the report would come to the office in a day or two. Further investigations are under way.

The encounter had begun when cops retaliated after they were fired upon as they arrived at the scene after receiving information through the Madadgar 15 helpline that citizens were being looted there.

One of the two suspects was also injured and arrested. The other robber fled in a rickshaw, however. The injured girl, Amal, and the suspect were moved to the JPMC, where they died. The family lives in Defence and happened to be passing by in a car when the tragic incident occurred. Amal’s father was also robbed of this cellphone.

Police said that the muggers had been using a rickshaw since the evening to commit robberies in various localities. They added that the group had carried out four snatchings on Monday night, starting with one in Frere Hall area, another in Baloch Colony, the third on the Qayyumabad flyover before striking at the Akhtar Colony traffic signal. Police found 11 cellphones, including the one snatched from Amal’s father, cash and jewellery on the dead robber.