Karachi: Over 260 security personnel have been killed in encounters with militants and criminals since the government started its clean up operation in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi, police said today while acknowledging that some terror sleeper cells were still active.
The Assistant IG Sindh police, Mushtaq Mahar told a news conference that due to the operation, which started in October 2013, there had been a 60 per cent reduction in terror related incidents in Karachi.
"Officially 232 policemen and 27 Rangers have been killed while performing their duties," he said.
He said in around 3,000 encounters, some 282 terrorists were also killed, 38 kidnappers and 10 extortionists were arrested, and 15,400 weapons and several bulletproof jackets, rocket launchers and hand grenades were seized.
Mahar also claimed that car-snatching incidents in Pakistan's biggest city and financial hub were also at their lowest in the past 15 years due to the operation against criminals and terrorists. Mahar, however admitted that despite the operation some sleeper cells of banned militant outfits were still operational in some areas of Karachi.
Mahar said around 40 per cent work remained to be done to restore peace to the city of around 22 million people.
The senior police official said that the success achieved in the operation needed to be consolidated by increasing the police force and police stations in Karachi.
"We also need to make use of technology to fight crime," he added.
