DERA GHAZI KHAN: A member of notorious Ladi gang was killed while another sustained critical injuries in an encounter near Kot Mubarak police station on Saturday.

Despite the intense exchange of gunfire, the gangsters managed to flee into the rugged terrain of tribal tehsil Koh Sulaiman, carrying the deceased member and the severely injured one with them.

District Police Officer Ahmed Mohyiddin said police swiftly responded to intelligence indicating the presence of Ladi gang members in the area. The gangsters initiated indiscriminate firing to halt the police’s advance.

The ensuing crossfire resulted in the death of Yaqoob and critical injuries to Esa. Despite the efforts of the police, the gangsters escaped with their wounded accomplice and the deceased.

Security measures have been intensified at checkpoints, including the Jhangi post along the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial boundary to thwart potential attacks by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan insurgents.

DPO Mohyiddin said earlier Dera Ghazi Khan police had on March 23 effectively repelled an assault by TTP activists on the Jhangi police post, situated at the provincial boundary of KP, utilising drone technology.

He said the Dera Ghazi Khan police, despite limited resources, confronted three challenges - the surge in street crime, pursuit of the Ladi gang, and the looming threat of TTP attacks on police checkpoints established along the Punjab-KP provincial boundary.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2024