SHIKARPUR: A police force carrying out an operation in the katcha area of Garhi Teho in Khanpur tehsil to recover three kidnap victims shot dead, what they claimed, was a dacoit in an alleged encounter near Sher Badani Jatoi village on Tuesday.

The police force has surrounded the area since Sunday, when the villagers, Abdul Ghafoor, Mohammad Rafique and Abdul Wahab — all Chachars by caste — were kidnapped along with their two other companions while they were on their way back home in Ali Jan Shar village from Haji Khan Kalhoro village.

The kidnappers had let off Imamuddin Chachar and Mohammed Ismail Malik on the way before taking away the villagers at gunpoint, apparently for ransom.

Khanpur DSP Nazeer Ahmed Lashari said on Tuesday evening that dacoits opened fire on the police force during the siege and in the retaliatory fire, one of them, later identified as Razzaq Badani Jatoi, 45, was killed. Arms and ammunition were seized from him, he added.

The DSP said none of the three villagers could be rescued but the operation was continuing.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2018