Military Policemen Shot Dead in Karachi

Two Military Police (MP) personnel were shot dead on Tuesday when unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle near Tibet Centre on MA Jinnah road.

DIG South Dr Jameel said the military policemen, identified as Arshad and Rashid, were targeted by two armed terrorists riding a motorbike.

AIG Mushtaq Meher told Dawn that two Military Police personnel were fired at by masked gunmen.

The riders fled from the spot after the attack.

They [gunmen] attacked the officers in a cowardly manner, said the DIG.

Rangers personnel were examining the crime scene with the help of sniffer dogs.

Sources informed that the investigators have obtained the CCTV footage but it doesn’t seem to be helpful.

Police are frequently targeted by Islamist militants and criminal gangs in the volatile city of around 20 million, but attacks on the military are rarer.

Officials say assailants are being tracked down and will be taken into custody..

The last incident occurred on November 20, when four paramilitary Rangers soldiers were killed in western Karachi while they were guarding a mosque.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah called Karachi Corps Commander Lt-Gen Naveed Mukhtar and inquired about the incident. He confirmed that only two military personnel were present in the vehicle at the time of attack. A spokesman for the military said that the operation was created to stop “sneaking terrorist attacks”.

He assured Gen. Mukhtar that attackers would be taken to task.

Later, while paying tribute to the dead soldiers, the head of Pakistan’s army said the attack was aimed at undermining operations against the militants.