THATTA: Two cousins were killed and four of their relatives were injured when their rivals attacked them over a dispute involving a girl’s freewill marriage in Allah Bachayo Mallah village near the coastal town of Jati, 60km from here on Thursday evening.

Eyewitnesses and police sources said that relatives of the bridegroom with whom the sister of one Sikiladho Mallah had married of her own free will were returning to their village from Jati town when their rivals, who were waiting for them in thick woods along the road, attacked them with batons and axes, killing Sikiladho and his cousin Mohammad Mallah and injuring Mohammad Hussain, Karmi, Jakhro and Ramzan.

Of the four injured persons two were in critical condition and were taken to a Karachi hospital while the bodies were brought to Jati taluka hospital where post-mortem was conducted on them.

The two groups of Mallah clan had been at loggerheads for some time over the freewill marriage of Sikiladho’s sister.

The murderous attack spread fear in the area but no FIR of the incident was registered till the filing of this report.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2017