SUKKUR: Six members of a family were gunned down in an attack on their house by tribesmen armed with heavy weapons, including rockets, in the Punho Bhatti area of Garhi Khero taluka of Jacobabad district late on Friday night. In a counter-attack, two members of the assailants’ tribe were shot dead.

Initial inquiry into the gory incident suggested that a group of Jalbani tribesmen attacked the house over some old enmity with the residents, who belonged to the Katohar community, in Qabil Katohar village.

Officials at the Punho Bhatti police station identified the deceased as Bachal Katohar, 55, his wife Morzadi, 31, their sons Ghulam Sarwar, 31, and Shaban aka Shahzaib, 6, and Katohar’s two brothers Raja Khan and Abdul Jabbar.

It was stated that the victims were asleep when the attack took place. The assailants fled the village after committing the crime.

Soon after the attack, an armed group of Katohar community proceeded to the Noor Mohammad Jalbani village in Shahdadkot taluka and shot dead two members of the assailants’ tribe. The deceased were identified as Mohammad Bakhsh and Mumtaz.

Officials at the Sanjar Bhatti police station said the Katohars targeted the two persons and opened fire, killing them on the spot and wounding a woman, Aziz Khatoon.

The bodies of six family members were handed over to the heirs after a post-mortem examination performed at Garhi Khero hospital. The bodies of Jalbanis were also handed over to the heirs after legal formalities while the wounded woman was referred to a Larkana hospital for treatment.

Strong contingents of police were deployed in both villages to prevent a flare-up. However, reports from the troubled villages said that armed men belonging to the two sides had taken up positions to repulse any attack by rivals. Situation in the areas was stated to be highly tense.

A total of 16 persons have lost their lives in attacks and counter-attacks in the year-old rivalry.

Chief Minister’s Adviser on Prisons Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani and MPA Mir Mumtaz Hussain Jakhrani have asked Jacobabad SSP Shomail Riaz Malik to take measures to restore peace in the area and hunt down the attackers.

Jalbanis and Katohars have been at loggerheads for about a year since a dispute between them over free movement into each other’s area triggered an armed attack in which one member of the Katohar community, Punjhal, and his friend, Sohno Umrani, were killed. In revenge, Katohars had gunned down two Jalbanis.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2021