Rojhan: Police recover three hostages, two medics treating bandits

ROJHAN: Sindh and Punjab police in a joint operation in katcha area killed five wanted bandits and injured several others, officials said on Sunday.

“Intense exchange of fire continued between the police and dacoits in katcha area,” police said.

Police have claimed to have arrest 20 suspected facilitators of bandits during the operation.

Policemen have also recovered a rocket launcher, an anti-aircraft gun and other heavy arsenal from hideouts of criminals in the katcha area, according to officials.

“Police recovered three hostages last night in the operation”.

Two doctors treating injured bandits, have also been recovered from hideouts of bandits,” police said.

“Police inquiring to establish whether the doctors went to the outlaws with their own free will, or they had been kidnapped,” police officials said.

Katcha area has been the hotbed of gangs of bandits, involved in various crimes, including kidnapping for ransom, murder, robberies, and attacks on police.

Social media reports suggest that the outlaws of katcha area now attempting to escape on boats towards Rahim Yar Khan, Rojhan city, and other areas of Rajhanpur district.

Earlier, Sindh Police on Tuesday said that the passengers kidnapped by bandits from a bus, were recovered, while a dead body was also found from sugarcane farmland.

A gang of bandits had attacked a passenger bus at Guddu-Kashmore link road and abducted 18 passengers, according to early reports.

DSP Obauro Abdul Qadir Soomro said that the police launched a search operation after the incident and 10 passengers recovered from the katcha area of Sonmiani. “A body of a passenger was found from sugarcane farmland”.

“Police have overall saved 13 bus passengers and search operation has been still ongoing in Sonmiani and surrounding area as policemen have cordoned off the area,” official said.