LARKANA, Aug 25: The local body elections in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts were marred by three deaths in Akil village and incidents of clashes at several polling stations.

The overall turnout was assessed in the two districts at 20 to 25 per cent.

Some unknown armed men opened firing and killed two people sitting at an election camp in Akil village, eyewitnesses told Dawn on Thursday.

The assailants chased another man and killed him in a nearby primary school.

The violence took place at polling station-7 set up in the Government High School Akil where personnel of law-enforcement agencies were also deployed.

Those killed were identified as Ali Gohar Gaad, Mohammed Malook Gaad and Sikandar Ali Gaad.

The assailants escaped from the scene restoring to aerial firing, the eyewitnesses said.

An official of the Pakistan Army told Dawn that army personnel reached the spot promptly and saw five people escaping the scene.

A pall of gloom fell on the village and the situation grew tense as heavy contingent of the army, Rangers and police encircled the area.

Police evacuated villagers of the Gaad clan who were stranded inside the polling station.

Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Nisar Khuhro, MNA Anwar Bhutto, MPA Ayaz Soomro, Ex-Nazim Khursheed Junejo and PML-Q leader Masood Khuhro arrived at the scene and remained there till the polling time was over.

DPO Saeen Rakhio Mirani said the triple murder was the outcome of an old enmity.

PPP leaders Nisar Khuhro, Ayaz Soomro and Anwar Bhutto said the deceased were voters of the ADP and law-enforcement agencies failed to provide security to them.

Mr Khuhro said when he came to vote there was no army and Rangers.

Ayaz Soomro and Masood Khuhro said they had told district returning officer regarding sensitivity of the polling station but enough force was not deployed.

Some miscreants broke into Munwarabad polling station of union council-2, Larkana city.

They tore into pieces voters’ lists and seized ballot papers and two ballot boxes.

Police arrested them and recovered ballot boxes while ballot papers were taken away.