Law enforcement agencies have arrested 80 suspected militants in separate search operations launched in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi over the last 24 hours, local media and police said Thursday.
Samaa TV reported that in a joint operation by Criminal Investigation Agency and police, 80 suspects allegedly involved in deteriorating law and order situation in the city were held.
In total 79 raids and 12 encounters, the law enforcement agencies have arrested extortionists, absconders, terrorists, drug peddlers and robbers, and shifted them to some unknown location for investigations.
Police said they recovered arms, ammunition and drugs during some of the operations they launched on intelligence tip-off.
The report came a day after four Pakistan Taliban-linked militants were shot down by police during a gun battle in Northern Bypass area of the city.
In a statement released earlier on Wednesday, Karachi police said that more than 40 groups of banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are active in the city.
The militant groups are allegedly involved in extortion, target killings, kidnapping for ransom and other terrorist activities in the city, said the statement.
Police and other law enforcement agencies are conducting targeted operations since October last year in various areas of the city to curb militancy and extortion.
A rapid response forces has also been formed in the city for arresting extortionists.
The ongoing nine-month long operation that was started on the directives of the federal government has brought mixed results, as the police and paramilitary troops have arrested thousands of militants and killed hundreds of them in encounters, yet extortion mafia is still active in the city and no let-up was seen in target killings.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already ordered the concerned departments to continue the operation till the last terrorist in Karachi is alive.
He also gave an all-out support to the law enforcing agencies in this regard.