DERA GHAZI KHAN: Several ‘facilitators’ of the Ladi gang were arrested on Thursday during a joint operation launched by the Rangers and law-enforcement agencies.

Following a video clip of brutal killing of police ‘informers’ by the gangsters of Ladi gang in tribal area of Takht Sulaiman tehsil, the prime minister had directed to launch a swoop on the criminal elements.

During the first leg of the operation, ‘facilitators’ of the gang were arrested at Sakhi Sarwar (settled area) and tribal parts of Takht Sulaiman tehsil. A resident of Darkhawst, Jamal Khan, was nabbed by CIA police from Sakhi Sarwar while some arrests were made from Halti sub clan of Khosa tribe.

An officer said Rangers and LEAs were ready for a combat [operation] against the Ladi gang after accomplishment of a search operation. The official said combat operation needed a foolproof strategy as the gang was armed with conventional and non-conventional weapons and the criminals used local tribal population as human shield.

The 17-member Ladi gang has hideouts in tough hilly area of Tuman Khosa in the vicinity of Kashoba Border Military Police station.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2021