Police in Pakistan have killed Malik Ishaq, the leader of banned Sunni militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
Ishaq, who had been detained on Saturday, was in a police convoy in Punjab province on Wednesday, when supporters opened fire in an attempt to free him.
The police said Ishaq was killed in a gun fight along with his two sons and 11 militants in Muzaffargarh District.
“The accused in custody, were under investigation for murder of dozens of people in target killings in South Punjab.
“The gang was also in league with the (Taliban) and al Qaeda groups operating in the area,” a police official said.
Ishaq, his two sons and other alleged members of the LeJ were taken into custody by the Counter Terrorism Department on Saturday, in connection with eight recent sectarian killings.
The militant chief had faced several murder trials but always been acquitted after witnesses refused to testify.
LeJ was banned in Pakistan in 2001 and designated a terrorist group by the U.S. in 2003.
The LeJ is believed to have been behind some of the most violent attacks on Shia Muslims in recent years.
Fourteen bodies had been received in Muzaffargarh District Hospital, but figures of those killed remain unclear.
