Islamabad: A suspect in police custody was injured after coming under fire during a recovery operation in the jurisdiction of Shahzad Town Police Station, Islamabad Police said on Saturday.
According to a police spokesperson, the suspect, identified as Khaliq Akhtar, was being taken back by a police team after a recovery based on his disclosure when armed accomplices, who were allegedly lying in wait, opened indiscriminate fire on the police party.
Police said Khaliq Akhtar sustained injuries from the firing allegedly carried out by his own accomplices, while the police personnel remained unharmed due to the use of bulletproof jackets and other protective measures.
The injured suspect was shifted to hospital for medical treatment.
According to the spokesperson, the suspect was wanted by Islamabad Police and had a previous criminal record in multiple cases, including attempted murder, drug trafficking and other serious offences.
Police said search operations were underway to arrest the remaining suspects involved in the attack.
The incident comes amid growing scrutiny over repeated cases involving injuries and deaths of suspects while in police custody, as well as an increase in alleged police encounters, raising questions over police training and operational procedures.