‘Daesh militant’ held in raid

The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Karachi police claimed on Saturday to have arrested a militant of Daesh in a joint operation with an intelligence agency in the city.

According to SIU chief SSP Irfan Bahadur, the arrested suspect has been identified as Sikandar Khan, son of Kamil Khan. The officer maintained that weapons used in various terror and criminal activities were also seized from his possession.

SSP Bahadur said the suspect had admitted to his affiliation with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan before 2019, and he was also arrested in 2013 for carrying out terrorist activities in Karachi, after which he was later shifted to a jail in Mardan district.

“After his release from the jail in Mardan, he returned to Karachi and joined Daesh in 2019 and helped his associates generate funds by collecting extortion money,” SSP Bahadur explained. “He also confessed to his involvement in attacking Dr Siraj and his clinic in PIB Colony over refusal to pay extortion money.”

Two separate cases under the clauses of terrorism and other crimes are already registered against him at the PIB Colony police station, the SSP said, adding that the suspect admitted his involvement in various cases of crime, including extortion, in Karachi.

The officer said the weapon seized from his possession had been sent to the forensic division of the Sindh police for ballistics cross-matching and further investigations were under way.

Separately, two suspected criminals were arrested after an alleged exchange of fire with police in the Nabi Buksh area. The suspects were identified as Adnan and Aqib.

Police said they were arrested in an injured state after an exchange of fire, adding that two of their companions managed to escape under the cover of fire. A citizen, Haseeb, was also injured by the firing of the suspects, police claimed.

Police said they had seized a weapon, mobile phone and motorcycle from the suspects’ possession. Cases have been registered against them.

Meanwhile, the District Central police and Anti-Vehicle Lifting Cell arrested three suspects during a joint raid. They were identified as Sunny, Asif and Ehtisham.

According to police, the suspects were arrested with the help of CCTV footage. Police said Asif and Sunny used to work as drivers at a private news channel in Karachi. They added that the third suspect was arrested on information provided by his accomplices.

Police said the suspects had admitted to stealing a car in the New Karachi area. A car and van of a local news channel in their possession was also impounded by police.

During the investigations, Ehtisham told police that their gang included another member, Daniyal, who has already been arrested by the Khawaja Ajmair Nagri police for his involvement in theft of vehicles. Cases have been registered against them and further investigations are under way.