Two more gangsters gunned down in Islamabad

Islamabad : Islamabad police in a drive against anti-social elements gunned down two alleged gangsters in an encounter at village Jorhi falling in the jurisdiction Tarnol police station, the police said Wednesday.

The police received information from members of Bilal Sabit gang who had been arrested by the Tarnol police that two of their aides were hiding in village Jorhi and were planning to join them to hit a house in D-17.

A police party along with the arrested suspects raided the hideout but the alleged gangsters equipped with Kalashnikov opened fire at them. However, in exchange of fire both alleged gangsters were wounded critically. They were shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences where they succumbed to their injuries. They have been identified as Sarfaraz Khan and Saeed ur Rehman hailing from Mardan.

The Islamabad police bosses have asked the Special Branch, Elite Force, CTD and Anti-Terrorist Squad to be alert to eliminate such rackets involved in criminal activities under the command of Zonal SPs.

Last Monday evening, in a joint venture with the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police gunned down two dacoits including Bilal Sabit and Imtiaz Ahmad during an encounter at Nasirabad.

Bilal Sabit was most wanted to the twin-cities police involved in targeting numerous police personnel during the last one year. He opened sudden firing at two police officials in Sector D-12 on 19th June, when they were heading towards Golra Police Station but both the policemen narrowly escaped. The police, however, registered FIR against Bilal Sabit and his aide under terrorism charges.

Bilal Sabit was involved in killing five police officials of the twin-cities, two officials of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and a station house officer (SHO) of Peshawar police during the last few months, the police said.

The top bosses decided to conduct operation against the gangsters creating law and order problems for the police and public, the police sources said and added that to ensure lourishing operation, the police bosses decided to seek help from the IB and did it. “The activities of the gangsters were put under strict surveillance of the intelligence agency and different teams of police and IB kept monitoring their activities,” the police sources maintained. The intelligence agency came to know that Bilal Sabit and his gang would hit Rawalpindi and their target was in Rawalpindi. “Heavy contingents of Islamabad police and IB were deputed to follow the gangsters by using different resources, and finally spotted them in Nasirabad,” the police said adding that the police command ordered to cordon off their car to arrest them. As the police advanced to intercept their car, Bilal Sabit and his aide opened fire on the police party but the police retaliated and gunned them down in their car.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Dr. Akbar Nasir, when contacted by this scribe, termed it as a great achievement of the law enforcement agencies to maintain peace in the capital city. He said that Bilal Sabit and his gang members were involved in dozens of armed dacioties and killings of police and IB personnel. “However, the Islamabad police delivered their duty of the protection of the lives and property of the public,” the IGP concluded.