KASHMORE: An encounter between police and dacoits in the Kashmore area of Sindh resulted in the death of a policeman today.
SHO Karampur Ali Hassan was killed on the spot while two others were injured in the fighting.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Basheer Ahmed Brohi, a dacoit by the name of Nawab Jagir alias 'Inni Minni' is holding four people hostage for ransom.
According to the police, they received reports of the kidnapping after which they conducted raids in the katcha area.
However, when police reached the area to conduct an operation, they were attacked by the dacoits who were using automatic weapons.
According to the police, the encounter with the dacoits is still under way and local forces have asked for backup, including armoured personnel carriers.
Upper Sindh and South Punjab are infamous for gangs of robbers who indulge in kidnapping and other illegal activities, operating out of katchaareas where accessibility is difficult.
In April 2016, the leader of a feared gang, Ghulam Rasool alias Chhottu, surrendered unconditionally along with his 13 gang members after the army intervened in the police operation against them in Katcha Jamal on the left bank of River Indus in Southern Punjab.
The army had said that all the hostages, including 24 policemen, as many women, 44 children and four elderly men were safely recovered from the gang’s captivity.