KARACHI - Sindh Rangers and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Sindh police have claimed to have killed eight militants of Ansarul Sharia Pakistan (ASP), including the outfit’s commander-in-chief.

However, four of them are still at large. This was disclosed at a press conference jointly addressed by Rangers Colonel Faisal Awan and CTD DIG Amir Farooqui at Rangers headquarters here on Sunday evening.

They said that acting on a tip-off, Rangers and CTD personnel raided a hideout at Raees Goth, in Baldia Town on Saturday night. Resultantly an encounter ensued that began at around 11pm and lasted at least four hours, they elaborated.

Two Rangers and one CTD personnel were also wounded, they added.

The slain terrorists were identified as group chief Sheharyar Warsi alias Abdullah Hashmi, Arsalan Baig, Saad Jamal, Kamran Riaz, Abu Bakar, Talha Ansari, Nihalul Haq and Hassan Haroon while four absconders were identified as Danish Rasheed, Junaid Rasheed, Abdul Kareem Sarosh Siddiqui and Muzammil. Huge cache of arms, ammunitions, videos, video devices and material related to Jihad were also claimed to be recovered.

Rangers Colonel Faisal Awan said that ASP was a small group of about 12-15 members; six to eight of whom were the target killers, adding that the remaining members provided back-up support and funding.

He said that various sensitive installations, public places and police and Rangers posts were their future targets.

Further disclosing details, Awan said that the militants had received education at Karachi’s varsities and had gone to Afghanistan to receive training in militancy at al-Qaeda camps. “Sheharyar Warsi was the group’s chief as well as spokesperson,” he said, and added, “ASP has now lost its ability to carry out a terror attack in the city after our last night action against them.”

Awan further said that although they had been educated at universities, but it did not mean that the varsities or their teachers had any role in their training.

Responding to reports that Abdullah Hashmi and some other militants had earlier been arrested in September in various raids by the law enforcers, Colonel Awan said that several suspects were detained during raids following an assassination bid on Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan, however, they were released after they were found innocent.

Speaking on the occasion, CTD DIG Amir Farooqui said that militants clad in police uniform had attempted to take Khawaja Izhar’s life. “Actually it was a conspiracy hatched by them to discredit police. They wanted to convey the impression that the law enforcement agencies were behind the assassination attempt,” he argued.

“As we know that Izhar had once been arrested by police, and the modus operandi of militants suggested that they were fully aware of that,” Farooqui said, and added, “That’s why they attacked him in police uniforms.”

He said there would have been a huge damage to police’s reputation if they had succeeded in their operation. Farooqui further said that raids were underway to find four other terrorists who were at large. “It is confirmed that the absconding terrorists are in Pakistan, apparently in Balochistan,” DIG Amir disclosed.