LARKANA, June 6: Six people, including an infant, were killed and three others were injured when a triangular gunfight among police and two rival groups of villagers broke out near Warah in Qambar-Shahdadkot district on Friday.

A heavy contingent of police led by Dadu DPO Manzoor Hussain Khatyan on a tip-off raided Qasim Cholyani village from its eastern side to arrest notorious dacoits Gul Bahar Mughiri and Sultan Chandio.

Police said when they and villagers were trading fire an armed group of their rivals also stormed the village from its western side.

People in the village were sandwiched between the police and their rivals, which resulted in deaths of six people.

The three of the bodies have been taken to Chandka Medical College Hospital in Larkana while others were sent to Warah Taluka Hospital.

The wanted outlaws escaped from the village.

A source told Dawn that the Dadu police on Thursday let Sultan Chandio off under a ‘deal’ to bring back three kidnapped people — Anil Kumar, 23; Ashok Kumar, 14; and Sunny, 13; residents of Larkana who were kidnapped on April 14 from near Khairpur Nathan Shah.

Abdul Ghaffar Cholyani, Akbar Cholyani, Dadan Cholyani, Sikandar Cholyani, Imam Ali Unrani and five-month-old girl Irum were killed in the attack.

The bodies of Abdul Ghaffar, Akbar Cholyani and Dadan Cholyani were shifted to CMCH Larkana.

Two injured Nadir Cholyani and Allahdino Cholyani were admitted to the CMCH Larkana. Nadir said to be in critical condition.

Reports reaching here from Warah claimed that Abdul Ghaffar, Akbar and Dadan were innocent villagers while police record against Sikandar Cholyani and Imam Ali Unnrani was available.

Meanwhile, in reaction over the killings, the chief of the Chandios and district nazim of Qambar-Shahdadkot, Nawab Shabir Ahmed Chandio, said that it was the height of indiscipline that police before undertaking the operation had neither informed the district nazim nor the district police.

While talking to Dawn, he accused the police of killing four innocent villagers and creating harassment in the area by arresting 11 villagers, including minors. He condemned the action and demanded an impartial inquiry into the incident.

He also expressed his fear that Dadu police might implicate the arrested people in false cases and book the innocently killed villagers on unfounded charges.