LAHORE/GHOTKI/RAJANPUR: A large-scale joint operation conducted by Sindh Police and Rangers in the riverine Kacha belt yielded significant results, as law enforcement agencies targeted entrenched criminal networks operating along the Punjab–Sindh border in Rajanpur district. The coordinated action was aimed at dismantling dacoit gangs that have long used the difficult riverine terrain as safe havens for criminal activities.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anwar Khaitran said the operation was carried out in the Kacha areas of Rajwanani, Karachi, and Umrani. He stated that between nine and 16 hardened criminals were killed during the action. According to the SSP, the deaths of nine dacoits have been officially confirmed, while search efforts are still underway to locate the bodies of seven others believed to be lying in the dense and challenging riverine terrain.
SSP Khaitran said those killed included Chhallo Bakhrani, head of the notorious Bakhrani gang, who was wanted by law enforcement agencies with a bounty of Rs5 million on his head. Other dacoits killed during the operation were identified as Azan Arzo, Hazaro Sakhani, Gamni Gopang, and Shah Murad. He added that Zafar alias Zafri Jhabail and Bahadur Umrani, each carrying bounties of Rs2.5 million, were also among those killed in the encounter.
He further said that at least 27 dacoits sustained injuries during the operation as a result of heavy exchange of fire with law enforcement personnel.
The SSP also disclosed that nine hostages, who had been abducted through the use of force and so-called honey-trap tactics, were successfully recovered. According to police officials, the abductors had demanded Rs10 million in ransom for each hostage. The recovery operation was carried out from riverine islands with the assistance of drone surveillance, which played a crucial role in identifying hideouts and movements of the criminals.
SSP Khaitran said two doctors—identified as Dispensary Tariq Rasheed and Shahid Ali—who had been kidnapped to provide medical treatment to injured dacoits, were also recovered during the operation. In addition, female relatives of the dacoits, identified as Mai Pathani, a visually impaired woman, and Mai Sheena, were also taken into custody and later recovered from the area.
He added that the body of a man identified as Riaz was also recovered from the area, and it is suspected that he was one of the hostages held by the criminal gangs. During the operation, police seized a large cache of heavy weapons, including a 12.7mm machine gun with a tripod, a light machine gun, and an RR-75. Other recovered arms included four RPG-7 launchers, four rifles, three repeater pistols, and a large quantity of ammunition. Binoculars, a toolbox, and several smartphones were also recovered from the destroyed hideouts.
The SSP said hideouts belonging to dacoits Tanvir Indhar, Qabil Sakhani, Chhallo Bakhrani, Meera Lathani, and Ghulam Rasool Mirani were demolished during the operation to prevent their future use.
He added that the operation involved the deployment of two armoured personnel carriers, 14 police vehicles, and dozens of police personnel, while Sindh Rangers’ 83 Wing, with operational support from units in Kashmore, Shikarpur, Khairpur, and Sukkur, played a key role in ensuring the success of the action.
