SUKKUR: Three men, among them a guest, were killed when a group of armed men stormed a guesthouse in Abdul Haq Badani (Jatoi) village in riverine area within the limits of Kot Shahu police station near Khanpur Mahar, Shikarpur, late on Friday evening and sprayed all with bullets.

The victims identified as Noor Hassan Badani-Jatoi, Allah Warayo Badani-Jatoi and Abdul Subhan Teghani (guest) were sitting in a room when the armed men, believed to be members of their rival group, attacked them. All the three died instantly and the assailants managed to escape easily.

In the wake of the killings, a fierce gun-battle started between two rival groups of Badani- Jatoi clan, which lasted for an hour. Many persons were believed to be dead and injured in the shootout, said sources in the area.

Local media persons said the incident was an offshoot of an old dispute between the two groups of Abdul Haq Badani-Jatoi and Jalal Badani-Jatoi, which started over 16 years ago over theft of animals.

The dispute had so far claimed, along with the latest deaths, five lives in clashes.

Victims were hardened criminals: police

Police officials claimed that the three victims were hardened dacoits wanted by them in many heinous crimes such as robbery, kidnapping for ransom, killing and encounters with police.

They said that Sindh government had placed Rs10 million bounty on the head of one of the deceased, Noor Hassan Badani-Jatoi.

PRO to SSP Shikarpur said in a voice message sent to this reporter that police had taken the dead bodies into their custody and shifted them to the nearest hospital.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2024