Funeral prayers offered for Rangers soldier martyred in Korangi attack

A Sindh Rangers soldier was martyred and two others suffered bullet wounds when assailants attacked a raiding team in District Korangi’s Ilyas Goth late on Wednesday night.

According to a spokesman, a Rangers team reached Ilyas Goth in Korangi 51-C to arrest notorious target killer Shafique Kaala when assailants attacked them.

“Hawaldaar Ilyas has embraced martyrdom while Sepoy Ibraheem and Sepoy Ameer have sustained bullet injuries in the attack,” the spokesman added. He said the paramilitary force arrested the wanted killer and his companion Aleem-ud-Din after an exchange of gunfire between the parties.

The spokesman added that the raiding team also apprehended a suspect named Shahbaz alias Osama, who opened fire at the rescue team. He was injured in the crossfire and shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, while the injured Rangers personnel were rushed to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Malir Cantonment for treatment.

Later, a heavy contingent of the paramilitary force and local police reached Ilyas Goth and started a search operation. Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Allah Dino Khowaja sought a detailed inquiry report from Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Zulfiqar Larik East Zone immediately.

Talking to The News, Larik said that he had no information to share about the incident as the Pakistan Rangers had mentioned that they would interact with the media themselves. “As per policy, the paramilitary force does not take local police into confidence before conducting raids in any part of the city to arrest any suspects,” he added.

The funeral prayer for the martyred Hawaldaar Ilyas was offered at the Bhittai Rangers Sector Headquarters on Thursday. Corps Commander Lieutenant General Shahid Baig Mirza, Sindh Interior Secretary Qazi Shahid Pervez, Sindh Rangers Director General Major-General Muhammad Saeed, IGP Khowaja, Karachi Additional IGP Mushtaq Mehar and other high-ranking officers of the Sindh Rangers and the Karachi police attended the funeral.

The body was dispatched to the deceased’s hometown, Khushab, for burial. The DG Rangers visited the military hospital and enquired after the health of the injured personnel.