Seven police officers who were kidnapped in Rajanpur's Rojhan tehsil on Sunday were rescued on Monday morning after a successful police operation, Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Bangla Ichha Ramiz Bokhari told Dawn.

The police operation started late Sunday in the riverine area of the tehsil for the safe recovery of the abducted officers, said the DSP.

The dacoits had taken the seven police officers to their hideout in Kachi Moro Island of the Indus River, the DSP added. During the operation, police personnel cordoned off a section of the river.

Taking advantage of the dark at night, the dacoits swam through the river and managed the escape from the police. The seven police officers were found unharmed, tied to the trees on the island.

The police officers were kidnapped while on a boat patrol on Sunday afternoon allegedly by dacoits with ties to the Attaullah Pat gang who are believed to have hidden in the sugarcane fields surrounding the area.

An extensive combing operation had been carried out in Rajanpur against the Chotoo gang by security forces in 2016 and most of the outlaws had either surrendered or were 'wiped out'.

Lately, however, splinter groups of Chotoo gang, such as the Attaullah Pat gang, have managed to regroup in the area and are suspected of involvement in robberies and kidnappings in the area.