SUKKUR, July 11: More than 20 people were arrested and several hideouts of bandits were demolished on Friday in an operation launched by the rangers against outlaws in RD-109 area on the Sindh-Balochistan border.

The rangers personnel got control of a stronghold of outlaws and recovered a huge quantity of arms.

A spokesman for the rangers said forts of outlaws were also demolished. The forts and hideouts which were demolished belonged to wanted outlaws, Ali Bagh Chakrani, Shah Nawaz Chakrani, Baharo Chakrani and others.

Talking to this correspondent on telephone, Col Hafeez, who is leading the operation, refused to disclose the names of the arrested persons and said he would address a press conference in Kashmor on Saturday morning in this regard.

He confirmed that 25 weapons were recovered from the possession of the arrested persons, including wanted outlaws. Those arrested belonged to Khoso, Jakhrani and Gashkori tribes.

He said a notorious outlaw, Ali Bagh, was still at large but the rangers personnel had been able to clean up some 20 kilometre area, which was a stronghold of bandits. He said the operation would continue till the whole area was cleared of bandits.

Sources said the rangers personnel had cordoned off 25 villages in the jurisdiction of the Risaldar police station on the Sindh-Balochistan border and carried out house-to-house search. They also reportedly tortured farmers working in their fields which caused panic among residents of the area.

House-to-house search was carried out in Fida Hussain Gulato, Hazoor Bux Gulato, Akyapur, Sohrab Khoso, Dingo Khan, Suleman Gulato, Noor Hassan Gashkori, Liaqat Domki, Aram Khan Khoso, Azad Khan, Sohrab Khan and Sardar Sher Ali Khan Jakhrani villages. Licensed and un-licensed arms were also recovered from houses in these villages. Meanwhile, boats operating in the Shahi Wah, were prohibited to take people outside the villages.