DADU, Feb 11: Armed bandits hijacked a Karachi-bound passenger coach from the Bareja bus stop late on Saturday night and injured four passengers and a police constable when they put up resistance.

Reports reaching here said that the bandits who had embarked on the bus at Mehar town hijacked the Rabnawaz Passenger coach carrying 36 passengers when it stopped at Dadu bus stand and a head constable Manzoor Panhwar got into the vehicle to carry out routine check.

The outlaws ordered the driver to move the bus with the policeman as they started robbing the passengers. They opened fire on those who resisted, injuring Niaz Channa, Mumtaz Channa, Gulsher, Ms Lakhi and the head constable.

Dadu TPO Gul Mohammad Chachar and SHO of Dadu town Ayoub Brohi chased the vehicle with a heavy contingent of police. The coach stopped after moving five kilometres from the stop and the bandits escaped with their loot containing thousands of rupees cash, gold ornaments and valuables belongings, reports said. They took the police constable with them and let him go after a while.

The TPO claimed that the bandits released the constable after a brief encounter with police, which left one of their accomplices injured. All the injured were admitted to civil hospital.