TAXILA: Police in Attock on Monday claimed to have recovered a toddler within 48 hours of his abduction and arrested six suspects, including a woman.

The main suspect was later killed by his accomplices during a “shoot-out” with the police near Hazro, said District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Sardar Ghiyas Gul Khan.

The DPO told a press conference at the Hazro police station that the three-year-old boy along with his six-year-old brother went to Jinnah Park in Hazro where a couple abducted the boy toddler.

The couple later shifted the boy to Peshawar apparently for human smuggling, said the DPO. Using CCTV footage, community policing and human intelligence, the police recovered the child within 48 hours and arrested six suspects, including a woman. The primary suspect identified as Abdul Aziz, a resident of Peshawar, was later presented before a magistrate and obtained his two-day physical remand.

During interrogation, the suspect revealed the location of the child’s clothes and shoes which were subsequently recovered. He said while the main suspect was being shifted back to the police station from court, his armed accomplices ambushed the police vehicle near Bhangi near Hazro in a bid to free him.

The DPO claimed that the police vehicle came under heavy gunfire, but the officers narrowly escaped. He said the attackers succeeded in temporarily freeing the suspect and continued firing as they tried to flee. However, a prompt search operation was launched by the police during which the main suspect was found injured and abandoned nearby. He said the suspect was accidentally shot by his own accomplices during the exchange of fire.

The injured died while being transported to the Civil Hospital, said the DPO. The police have launched a hunt to arrest the fleeing accomplices of the arrested suspects.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2025