LARKANA: A man was killed and a Rangers sepoy wounded in what was described as an encounter between the security agency and criminals in Mandhara village, some 40 kilometres from here on Friday.

According to the Shahbaz Rangers, they had cordoned off the village situated within the jurisdiction of the Badah police station after getting a tip off about presence of some wanted criminals there. They said that the Rangers team was fired upon as soon as it surrounded the village in the morning. The fire was returned which triggered an encounter that lasted three hours, they added.

The Rangers said that a man, later identified as Mumtaz Ali Junejo, believed to be a criminal, was killed and a sepoy, Shafiq Ahmed, wounded during the encounter.

Five suspects, Nusrat Junejo, Ghulam Ali aka Mirch Junejo, Asif Junejo, Murtaza Machhi and Gulzar Machhi, were detained for interrogation, said the Rangers, adding that four kalashnikovs, three rifles, a repeater and a huge quantity of ammunition were seized from the suspects.

About the deceased suspect, they said he was wanted by the police in several cases of kidnapping for ransom and robberies.

The body was handed over to the Badah police after a post-mortem examination at the Chandka Medical College Hospital.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2014