KARACHI: Two persons were killed while 85 others, including women and children, wounded in the celebratory firing carried out on the eve ofIndependence Day across the metropolis, police and rescue services offi-cials said on Monday.

However, law enforcement agencies claimed to have arrested less than 10 suspects for carrying out firing in jubilation and registered FIRs against them.

Jamshed Quarters SHO Gul Baig said a stray bullet hit 25-year-old Bisma when she was passing through PeoplesChowrangi near the Quaid`s mausoleum on a motorbike with her family. She was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where doctors pronouncedherdead.

In Lyari, a man, identified as Abdul Wahab, suffered a fatal bullet wound.

Baghdadi SHO Ghulam Yasinsaid he was asleep on the roof of his home at Aath Chowk near a Rangers post when a stray bullet hit him. He was taken to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) where doctors pronounced him dead.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said that a total of 85 persons with gunshot wounds were brought to three major hospitals JPMC, CHK and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) in the metropolis.

Nineteen of the wounded, aged between six months and 60 years, were females, she added.

Some 32 persons each were brought to the JPMC and ASH, while 21 with bullet injuries were brought to the CHK for treatment after midnight.

She said that the condition of a young man was critical as he suffered a bullet wound in the head.

The victims were aged between six months to 60 years. Five of them were teenagers while three females.

The police surgeon said six-month-old Imran Kashan and 32-year-old Muhammad Imran suffered bullet wounds at Peoples Square near Burns Road within the remit of the Aram Bagh police station.

Eight held, weapons recovered The police claimed to have arrested a total of eight suspects on charges of celebratory firing on the eve of Independence Day.

The City police said that six persons were arrested in Kharadar and Kalakot areas and five pistols were recovered from their custody.

Theyhave beenbooked for attempted murder, possession of unlicensed weapons and aerial firing.

The district Central police also arrested two armed persons in the Liaquatabad area and recovered as many pistols from them. They said that one of the suspects had a licensed weapon.