SHIKARPUR, May 16: An attempt to kidnap and rob commuters on the Lakhi-Madeji road near the Rajib Tarat village in the Lakhi Ghulam Shah police station area was jointly foiled by police and Rangers here on Monday. A group of armed men, belonging to the Tarat branch of the Jatoi tribe, allegedly intercepted cars, wagons and coaches on the Lakhi-Madeji road and started looting the passengers and also tried to kidnap members of a Syed family who were in a car.

After receiving information, a heavy contingent of police, led by DPO Shikarpur, Pir Fareed Jan Sarhandi, along with a Rangers team, led by Lt Col Tariq, reached the spot.

After an encounter with the Jatoi tribesmen, they foiled the robbery and kidnapping attempat. The armed outlaws escaped firing in the air.

However, police succeeded in arresting three of them and recovered a Kalashnikov and a rifle from their possession.

The names of arrested Jatois could not be ascertained.

When contacted, the DPO denied setting houses of the Jatois on fire and accused them of burning some of their huts and storage of wheat bran to malign the police.

He further said that some women were held to put pressure on them to disclose the names of the culprits and their whereabouts and they were released after interrogation.

Our Sukkur Correspondent adds: Shikarpur police picked up more than 80 women and children from four villages of Jatoi tribe after conducting an extensive search in Jatoi-dominated villages.

The police also set on fire wheat stocks and several houses in these villages.

The police action was taken in the aftermath of kidnapping of three women occupants of a car by gunmen.

The police chased the armed men and cordoned-off Rajab Tart, Dadlo Tart, Pir Dino Tart and Abdul Karim villages,

conducted house-to-house search and picked-up more than 80 women and children after failing to arrest the armed people involved in the loot and arson. Later, the police also set ablaze some houses and wheat stocks.

Some of the women released by police, including Ms Shabana, Ms Subhal and Ms Suhand told newsmen at the Jatoi House, Shikarpur, that the police burnt 90 houses, wheat stocks besides looting their belongings.

The SHO Lakhi, Ayaz Khero, registered an FIR (60/2005) under sections 1/17, 354, 324, 148, 149 against 35 persons, allegedly for looting, kidnapping and opening fire on police.