August 14, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 11, 1429

SUKKUR, Aug 13: The Sukkur police had detained 25 people during raids on Ganj Ali Jatoi and Janoo Jatoi villages in the limits of Bagarji police station near Sukkur, said villagers on Tuesday. However police denied they had made any arrests.

The raids were carried out after the killing of two brothers by armed men over a land dispute in Mirzapur village early on Monday.

A police party led by Sukkur DPO Sharjeel Kharal along with armoured personnel carriers raided and cordoned off the villages.

Police sources said that seeing the police coming, the villagers fired rockets on police but they narrowly escaped the attack.

Later, an exchange of gunfire took place between the villagers and the police.

Police entered the villages, conducted house-to-house search and arrested 25 people and also burnt down houses.

The villagers told journalists the police had ransacked their houses, manhandled men, women, and children, and set fire to their houses and arrested innocent villagers.

Sukkur DPO Sharjeel Kharal told Dawn that during the raid, criminals fired back with rockets on police.