June 15, 2002	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1423

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KHAIRPUR, June 14: The Sindh police have begun operations against bandits in the forest of Khairpur, Sukkur and Shikarpur districts.

An unspecified number of hide-outs of criminals has been set on fire and more than 100 suspects have been picked up in a massive anti-dacoit operation in Khairpur district.

More than 3,000 police officers, commandos and other personnel are taking part in the operation and about 300 police posts have been set up to cordon off the entry and exit points of the operation area.

The police personnel have been drawn from Sukkur, Shikarpur, Khairpur and Larkana districts.

The police said that the hide-outs of criminals set on fire were located in Keti Sultan Shah, Keti Ghumra and other forest areas.

The DPOs, Abdul Khalique Sheikh, Din Muhammad Baloch, Nadir Khoso and Ghulam Nabi Memon are leading their teams in their respective areas.

Our Sukkur Correspondent adds: About 500 police personnel with some commandos began on Friday an operation against the bandits hiding in Shahbelo forest.

An exchange of fire between the police and the bandits took place several times in the forest but it could not be confirmed whether any bandit or policeman was injured.

It was the second big operation against bandits after the one at Gora Teghani, which was cleared of the bandits last month.

AIG, Sukkur police, Nayyar Husnain, told this scribe that the operation would continue till the removal of the bandits from the area.

He said that the police had sealed the entry and exit points of the forest and restricted movement of the outlaws.

He said that a number of hideouts of the bandits had been set ablaze and no peaceful resident of the area was being disturbed or arrested.

However, he said that some 10 people had been picked up, who were suspected of passing information of the police movement to the bandits and supplying food and arms to them.

Our Shikarpur Correspondent adds: Police started an anti-dacoits operation at the Jamalpur-Drighpur forest, near Madeji, in Shikarpur District on Thursday.

At least 400 police officers and jawans of the Shikarpur District police and the Sindh Reserve Police Hyderabad took part in the operation against dacoits.

The dacoits were hiding in the Jamalpur-Drighpur forest near the Indus River. Police raided their hideouts under the supervision of the DPO, Shikarpur, Nadir Hussain Khoso.

Police opened fire and were able to destroy the hideouts of Qadu Junejo, Ali Gul Junejo, Dhano Shaikh, and Gagoo Kehar. However, the dacoits managed to escape taking advantage of the night.

Police set up four police chowkis there.

According to the DPO, Shikarpur, intermittent firing between the police and dacoits was going on at some places, and added that the Khairpur police had sealed the other side of the forest.