Six policemen were martyred on Wednesday while two were injured in an attack by dacoits near the area of Jageer in Sindh’s Jacobabad district while on their way to rescue a hostage, police officials said.

Jacobabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Sumair Noor Channa confirmed the development to Dawn.com, adding that the slain police officials were from the Usta Muhammad police station located in Balochistan’s Jaffarabad.

SSP Channa said that the martyred officials included Usta Muhammad station’s sub-inspector Tayyab Umrani and constables Nisar Ahmed and Abdul Wahab.

Naseerabad division Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Munir Ahmed Sheikh said that the joint operation will continue till the hostage, Furqan Soomro, has been recovered.

The DIG added that Soomro — the son of Aslam Soomro, a rice mill owner in Usta Muhammad town — had been kidnapped at gunpoint a day ago from Jaffarabad.

He further told Dawn.com that the gangs of “Mittu Shah and Jakhrani” were involved in the kidnapping, adding that the Sindh government had already placed a bounty of Rs3 million on their heads.

DIG Sheikh said that the operation had been expanded with the cooperation of Sindh police and more personnel were on stand-by if needed.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo expressed his grief, saying that the “police inspector and three constables embraced martyrdom while performing their duties”.

He commended the martyred for “facing the enemy with bravery”, and prayed for their families to have patience.

Bizenjo further said he hoped that the Sindh government would soon bring to justice those responsible for the incident.

Earlier this month, a station house officer was martyred while five others, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured after dacoits attacked a large police contingent in Sindh’s Kandhkot district to free hostages.

The Sindh and Punjab police have launched a grand joint operation against gangs of dacoits entrenched in the riverine areas of upper Sindh and southern Punjab. The Pakistan Army, Rangers and other security personnel are also aiding the police forces.