KARACHI - The law enforcement agencies claimed to have arrested at least 50 accused persons including five culprits wounded during exchange of fire.

Three suspect criminals including two of them in injured condition were arrested during an alleged encounter with the police in Block 2, PECHS Society within the limits of Ferozabad police station.

The injured criminals were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medical treatment. According to SHO Aurangzeb Khattak, the police also recovered three Kalashnikovs, two pistols and a motorcycle from their possession, adding that the injured suspects were later identified as Abdul Khaliq and Abdul Qayyum while their third companion as Daud. The officer said that the suspects were involved in various cases of street crimes. The cases against them were registered while further investigation was underway.

Similarly, two more suspected criminals were arrested after an exchange of fire with the police in Pir Sarhandi Goth in Shah Latif locality. The police also claimed to have recovered a pistol and a rickshaw from their possession. The injured suspects who were shifted to JPMC for medical treatment were identified as Ghulam Abbas and Muhammad Qasim. Police said that they were involved in various cases of street crimes while their two more companions, however, managed to escape under the cover of fire.

Meanwhile, as many as 47 suspects were taken into custody by police during search operations in the outskirts of the city.

The search operations were conducted in Saudabad, Quaidabad, Old Muzzafarabad Colony and Gulshan-e-Bunair localities of District Malir. Extra contingent of police and Rangers participated in the search operation. The search operation was conducted two days after the deadly blast in Quaidabad area that claimed the lives of the two innocent teenagers and wounded ten others.

The entire localities were cordoned off during door-to-door search operation conducted on the night between Sunday and Monday and no one was allowed to go in or out during the operation hours that lasted in at least three hours. 

Though the police remained unable to make any breakthrough over a case, the police conducted a search operation in the area about the presence of the suspects and detained about 47 suspects. Police officials said that six of them were later booked in a drugs case while the remaining suspects were later shifted to different police stations for further questioning.

Police officials said that the operation was conducted over the possible presence of the suspected criminals, adding that a total 47 suspects were detained including six of them with narcotics who were later booked in narcotic cases while the remaining others were being questioned.