DERA GHAZI KHAN, Jan 13: Around 400 personnel of law enforcement agencies are engaged in Kacha area for the recovery operation of 12 Wapda men who were kidnapped on Wednesday by the Mazari tribe gangsters.

They were kidnapped while conducting a survey of the Rainy Canal in the limits of the last police station of Punjab near the Sindh border, some 180kms from here. As per reports, personnel from the Punjab Constabulary and other agencies are looking for the Cchotu-Buga gang, notorious for the kidnap for ransom and other heinous crimes.

The operation is under way in the Kacha area known as 'New Karachi' in the Rajanpur district to apprehend the culprits and for the safe recovery of hostages - Amanullah, Khalid, Akhtar, Haq Nawaz (engineers), linemen Feth Muhammad, Saeed, Aslam Mazari, Taju, Anwar, Elahi Bakhsh and driver.

When contacted, DG Khan range DIG Humayun Raza Shafi said that six police teams comprising commandos and Elite Force had been constituted to ensure the safe recovery of Wapda employees. He said the police teams headed by DSPs and SHOs of the district had been deployed in the area.

The DIG said the cooperation of tribal elders of the river belt located at the junction of three provincial borders - Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab was also being sought. Meanwhile, Shahwali police on Thursday registered a case against four culprits for allegedly kidnapping 12 Wapda officials.