Toll in Karachi violence rises to 15

Islamabad, March 12:

The toll in Wednesday morning’s hand grenade attacks and firing in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi has risen to 15, media and police said.

Faisal Bashir, superintendent of police, said the violence on Wednesday morning was the outcome of a clash between two rival groups that left 15 people including the gang leader’s brother and four women dead and injured over 30 people, including school children.

The violence broke out when members of two rival gangs opened fire and hurled hand grenades at each other after exchanging harsh words in Jhat Par market of Karachi city.

Police said one of the gangs kidnapped a member of the other Tuesday night which led to the fierce clash.

Eyewitnesses said they heard six to seven small explosions in Lyari area of the city where the market is located.

The injured people have been shifted to the civil hospital.

Women and children were thronging the area and some kids were going to school when the attack happened, police said.

Lyari is a restive area in Karachi, the capital city of the southern Sindh province, which is considered to be centre of gang wars and a hub of the extortion mafia.

A heavy contingent of police and paramilitary troops was deployed across the whole Lyari area following the incident to control any untoward situation.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and discussed the law and order situation in the city with him.

(IANS)