Senior Pakistani police officer killed in Karachi; TTP claims responsibility

Karachi, Jul 9 (PTI) A senior Pakistani police official who led successful campaigns against the TTP and other terror and criminal outfits in Karachi was assassinated by the militant group, officials said here on Wednesday.

Sindh Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) DSP Ali Raza was shot dead in the Karimabad area on Sunday by two unidentified armed men on a motorcycle. Three security guards were also injured in the attack.

Raza was gunned down by the two assailants who were wearing helmets near his home. He was hit by at least five bullets as he tried to get out of his vehicle.

The CTD recovered 11 bullet shells from the crime scene, indicating the use of a semi-automatic weapon in the attack.

Hours later, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for carrying out the hit job.

However, investigators probing the case are reluctant to accept the TTP's claim on social media and one of them said they were still not sure if Raza was gunned down by the terror outfit.

“I cannot verify this claim as yet,” DIG-CTD Asif Ejaz Shaikh said.

He said the killing was being investigated from different angles and the investigators were probing possible sectarian motives behind the murder.

Raza was murdered 10 years after his mentor and close colleague SP Chaudhry Aslam was killed in a bomb attack by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Raza and Aslam had waged a successful campaign against the Pakistan Taliban and other terror and criminal outfits in Karachi.

Aslam was killed in a car explosion in Karachi, an attack later claimed by the banned TTP outfit. PTI CORR SCY AKJ SCY SCY