GEO: http://geo.tv/6-19-2010/66993.htm
KARACHI: A group of a banned outfit launched hand grenade and fire attack on police personnel at Karachi City Court and successfully liberated four accused when they were being escorted back by police after a hearing.
DIG South Iqbal Mehmood talking to media said four accused of the banned group Jundallah named Murad Shah, Muhammad Wazir, Murtaza Inayat and Shikeb Farooqui were presented before the court of Sessions Judge Central.
After the hearing unknown armed men entering through the Mosque located next to the court attacked the police inside the court with hand grenades and gunfire. This led to an exchange of fire but the culprits succeeded in liberating their arrested men.
During trade of fire a police constable, Muhammad Shahbaz, lost his life while three others, Sarfaraz, Abul Kalam and Usman sustained injuries.
Two of the injured are said to be in critical condition and are being operated at a local hospital.
The attackers taking along with them the arrested men headed to Jodia Bazar and began a fresh exchange of fire with police.
According to DIG South, an attacker was killed in the incident. The area of Jodia Bazar has been cordoned off and all the routes to the Bazar have been blocked.
The accused who were liberated by the attackers today had been arrested for their alleged involvement in Karachi’s targeted killings by a special investigative unit of police three days ago. The police brought the arrested to the court today for seeking their remand.
KARACHI: One policeman was killed in Karachi on Saturday when unknown gunmen opened fire near the City Courts.
The gunmen opened fire at a group of policemen who were escorting a number of prisoners to the courts and threw a hang grenade amid the crowd.
One policeman was killed as a result of the attack and four prisoners were able to flee along with the gunmen.
Security officials followed one of the gunmen, who fled to nearby Jodia Bazaar and killed himself. One hand grenade was recovered from his possession, while search teams have been sent to other areas to locate the remaining gunmen.
The four escaped prisoners were identified as Murad, Wazir, Miskeen and Murtaza, and were brought to the courts of the judicial magistrate south.
Two people were also injured as a result of the attack and have been shifted to Civil Hospital, officials told DawnNews.
DIG South Iqbal Mahmood later released the sketches of the escaped accused and the police also managed to seize cell phones and MM pistols of the attackers.
Mehmood said the militants were associated with an outlawed militant organisation, Jundallah.
Jundallah is accused of carrying out a number of terrorist attacks in the country including a recent attack on a procession earlier this year in Karachi, killing 76 people.
It was reported that the escaped prisoners were speaking on a cell phone before appearing in court.
The Karachi Bar Association urged the CCPO Karachi, the home minister and IG Sindh to tender their resignation and lawyers announced that they would boycott the city courts until proper security measures were put in place.—DawnNews/AFP
