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SUKKUR, April 22: An FC picket came under a heavy rocket attack in Sui gas field in Balochistan on Wednesday night, it was learnt here on Thursday. The picket was established for securing the Sui gas pipeline in the area. Sources said that at least 20 outlaws fired some 18 rockets at the picket besides firing with automatic weapons.
Rockets landed near the picket, gouging out huge pits. Later, the FC personnel and Defence Security Guards, retaliated and killed an outlaw but his dead body was taken away by his accomplices. No case was registered till the filing of this report.
TENSION: Tension between two religious groups in Mirpur Mathelo mounted over the dismissal of a prayer leader of a mosque in a fertilizer company. The mosque's Imam, Maulana Aurangzeb, according to one of the groups, had been serving the mosque for the past 30 years.
Maulana Abdul Khaliq of Bharchoondi Sharif, who is leading the protest drive here and had threatened the FFC and the district administrations to resolve the matter within the next week.
He accused the resident manager of the FFC of trying to spark a sectarian clash between two groups besides alleging the same official to be behind the dismissal of Maulana Aurangzeb, the imam of the FFC mosque.
four get life terms: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday convicted and sentenced four accused to undergo life imprisonment besides forfeiting their movable and immovable property worth Rs200,000 on charges of robbery and kidnapping for ransom.
The court acquitted three co-accused. They had kidnapped five PTCL employees on April 15, 2003, as they were returning after finishing some work at the residence of the prime minister at Rojhan Jamali in Balochistan.
The police had later arrested four of the accused Abdul Wahab, Ghulam Rasool, Gul Mohammad, and Lal Mohammad and had also gotten the hostages released. The court acquitted co-accused Lahooti alias Gulsher, Mohammad Nawaz and Piyaro, who are still absconding because of insufficient evidence.
BANDIT KILLED: One more outlaw was killed and four others injured during the ongoing operation against outlaws in the Shah Belo Forest on Wednesday. An exchange of fire took place between the police and the outlaws that lasted for an hour and resulted in the death of Naeem, son of Naseem Misrani Jatoi, and alleged injuries to four others.
However, the outlaws managed to take away their injured accomplices. The police claimed that cordon of the forest was continuing for the 10th consecutive day of the operation.
