LAHORE: The Punjab police, with the support of the Elite Force and the Rangers, launched a large-scale operation on Wednesday against criminals and dacoits, including those affiliated with the notorious Choto gang, in the riverine area of Rajanpur district.

Over 1,500 policemen from Rajanpur and Rahimyar Khan and 300 personnel of the Elite Force are taking part in the ‘historic operation’, besides Rangers personnel, in what is being termed the final round against the criminals who have given a tough time to law enforcement agencies in the past.

“We are fully prepared to hit the criminals hard and this time, the law enforcement agencies are determined to reach inaccessible areas where over 100 criminals affiliated with different gangs have taken refuge,” Rajanpur DPO Ghulam Mubashar Maikin told Dawn.

He said that the criminals have formed a nexus comprising members of various gangs, primarily the Choto, Sakhani, Lund and Gopaang gangs, against law enforcement agencies.

Law enforcers advance on hideouts in riverine areas of Rajanpur district

The Rangers are equipped with sophisticated weapons, including artillery mortars and helicopter gunships. Heavy exchange of fire ensued between the law enforcers and criminals on Wednesday. “The criminals are putting up fierce resistance and are retaliating from inaccessible hideouts,” the DPO said, adding that the outlaws were operating from within the 40-kilometre area of the district.

They took refuge in the riverine area of Rujhan Tehsil — a 10-kilometre stretch on the other side of the Indus River — after the launch of the operation in south Punjab. “Our target area is a dense jungle, 10 kilometres long and three kilometres wide, which is accessible by boat only,” the DPO said.

He said the law enforcers were facing a challenge as they could become soft targets for the outlaws while crossing the river. They have established checkposts and base camps on the western and eastern sides of the hideouts to restrict movement.

The law enforcers have also cordoned off the riverine areas of Kacha Moro and Kacha Jamal of Rujhan Tehsil to block any help from facilitators.

In response to a query about the presence of members of banned militant organisations, the DPO said that police believed Baloch insurgents were also accompanying the criminals in the kacha areas.

He said that over 100 facilitators had been arrested by law enforcement agencies during the crackdown.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2016