LAHORE / GHOTKI / RAJANPUR: A sustained crackdown on organised crime in the riverine Kacha belt yielded major results as nine hardened criminals, including key gang leaders, were killed during a joint operation by police and Rangers along the Sindh–Punjab border, officials said.
Police said the operation in Kacha Karachi and Kacha Rajwani entered its sixth consecutive day and involved Sindh Police, Punjab Police and Sindh Rangers. The total number of alleged criminals killed during the ongoing operation has reached nine so far.
Among those killed was Chhallo Bakhrani, head of the Bakhrani gang, who was carrying a Rs5 million bounty, according to police. He was wanted by law enforcement agencies in Sindh and Punjab in cases involving the killing of police personnel and other serious offences.
Police also confirmed the killing of Abdullah Dashti of the Chhotu gang during a drone strike. He was described by police as a leading figure among criminal elements and was wanted in multiple serious cases.
Officials said the operation was supported by modern drone surveillance, which helped identify criminal hideouts in the difficult riverine terrain. Several hideouts were destroyed during the operation, and a large cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered, including rocket launchers and mortar shells, police said.
Police said three abductees were safely rescued during the operation. During search and combing activities, two women associated with the Bakhrani gang were taken into custody.
According to police, the seized arms included three G3 rifles, two rocket launchers, a 12.7mm weapon, a submachine gun and ammunition.
The operation is being conducted under the command of DIG Sukkur Range Captain (retd) Faisal Abdullah Chachar, with the participation of SSP Ghotki, SSP Kashmore, DPO Rajanpur and Sindh Rangers. Police said the operation would continue without interruption until its completion.
