DADU: Six members of the Lashari tribe were gunned down while they were on their way to a court in Dadu to attend the hearing of an armed attack case against them on Friday.

The victims, residents of Talti village, were booked at Dadu police station under an FIR lodged by their rivals, belonging to the Marri tribe, following an armed clash between the two sides about 15 days ago. One member of the Marri tribe was wounded in the clash which related to a long-standing dispute between the two sides over the ownership of a piece of land within the village.

On Friday, the car carrying the six Lasharis — Mithal, Shahid, Hidayat, Mashooq, Badal and Azam — was ambushed by unidentified armed men while it was passing through the district jail locality along Dadu-Sehwan section of the Indus Highway. Four of them died on the spot and Badal and Azam (who was driving the car) succumbed to their wounds during treatment at Dadu Civil Hospital.

Dadu SSP Tanvir Ahmed Tunio told reporters that all the victims were close relatives and were embroiled in an old enmity over a land dispute. He said a raiding team led by DSP headquarters Nazeer Ahmed Solangi had been formed to arrest the assailants.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2018