Khyber News

KARACHI: Warring factions in Lyari kept police commandos engaged for a third consecutive day as heavy gun fire from both sides, use of hand grenades, rockets and steel plated bullets has compelled the residents to move to safer locations. 

At least 19 people including a SHO and a police constable have been killed in three days of violence while unruly gangsters showered an armored vehicle with bullets and hand grenades rendering it useless. 

The residents of the affected area of Lyari have started moving out from the area because of nerve-wracking sound of gunfire, electricity load shedding and a scarcity of food and clean water. 

 Meanwhile, parts of Lyari continue to remain volatile till today as intermittent firing incidents were being reported.

The police in coordination with FC had launched an operation against the criminal elements of Lyari on Friday that resulted into violent clashes between the forces and the miscreants.

SSP CID Aslam Chaudhry has declared a ‘red alert’ in Lyari. 

The police faced stiff resistance as armed men have adopted guerilla tactics complimented by a web of well connected, narrow streets. 

A Senior House Officer (SHO) Civil Lines and a police constable were shot dead yesterday. The pitched battles between heavily armed men and personnel of the Anti-Extremism Cell (AEC) have so far claimed 19 lives in three days.

Latest reports indicate renewed violence in Afshani Street, Cheel chowk, Karli and a rocket attack in Lyari. 

SSP CID while talking to newsmen said that a grand operation would soon be underway to flush out miscreants and neutralize the area. 

Around 500 Frontier Constabulary (FC) men and 2500 policemen are taking part in the operation against Lyari gangs.