SUKKUR: Three men held hostage by dacoits in the riverine area of Garhi Tegho — believed to be the formidable stronghold of many notorious gangs — were rescued after an encounter and handed over to their families, the Shikarpur police said on Monday.

Four other hostages were freed in a separate encounter that took place in the riverine area falling within the limits of the Rustam police station, they said.

All the seven hostages were rescued unharmed as their kidnappers, members of different notorious gangs, retreated during the encounters and abandoned the hostages, kept in two hideouts.

According to a press statement, a police team headed by SP Shahzeb Chachar carried out a ‘targeted operation’ in the riverine area of Garhi Tegho after receiving a tip-off that some kidnap victims were being moved from one hideout to another place.

Gangsters escape abandoning hostages in hideouts

As soon as the police team reached near the specified place, heavily armed dacoits opened fire which was returned, the SP said. However, he added, the outlaws were made to retreat after a fierce gun battle. The police entered the hideout and found three hostages — Mushtaq Ahm­ed, son of Azizullah, Nazir Ahmed, son of Manzoor Ahmed, and Nawab, son of Ali Mohammad (all belong to the Bijarani tribe) — present inside. They were escorted to the local police station.

After fulfilling legal formalities, they were handed over to their families, the SP said, adding that the gangsters would be arrested and taken to task soon.

In the other encounter, four hostages were rescued, the SP said. He said three of them — Mohammad Umar, Mohammad Asif and Badshah (all belonging to the Qureshi community) were kidnapped while they were travelling in a passenger van some 10 days ago. They, and another man, Mir Hassan Jagirani who was kidnapped on May 2, were taken to a hideout at gun point in the riverine area falling within the limits of the Rustam police station.

Upon receiving information, a police team carried out a raid on a hideout which led to an encounter with gangsters standing guard outside. During the gun battle, the gangsters fled the area, the SP said.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2024