DERA GHAZI KHAN, Aug 5: Police claimed on Thursday to have arrested three suspects in its massive hunt for kidnappers who pick up two passengers and looted two buses on Indus Highway on Tuesday night.

Rojhan SDPO Qayyum Nawaz Qaisrani told this correspondent by phone that 100 personnel of police, elite force and the Punjab constabulary were taking part in the operation.

The robbers had looted two buses before kidnapping three passengers in the limits of Shahwali police station in Rajanpur district. They released one of them after some time.

The bandits had also opened fire on vehicle (P-6775) in a bid to stop it as a result a woman passenger sustained injuries. Thereafter, they intercepted the bus (JB-8084) by puncturing its tyres and kidnapped Abid, Rizwan and Awais.

The outlaws had released Awais when he introduced himself as a Baloch. Ghulam Mustafa, the bus driver, claimed that he was also spared by the kidnappers when he spoke in Balochi.

The SDPO said among the kidnapped passengers, Rizwan was an employee of the Arain textile mills, Jampur Road, Dera Ghazi Khan. Sources alleged that the kidnappers had taken refuge in the riverine 'kacha' area near Panjnad Head and enjoyed the support of some influential tribal lords.

Some reliable sources termed the incident a result of the ongoing conflict between transporters and a feudal lord over the collection of Rs130 'extortion' from every bus crossing Rajanpur district.