SUKKUR, May 14: During a month-long police operation against dacoits in Shah Belo forest, four dacoits were killed, 20 injured, 30 arrested and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from their possession.

This was claimed by the DPO, Jacobabad, Din Mohammad Baloch, and DPO, Sukkur, Ghulam Shabbir Shaikh, at a joint press conference here on Friday.

They said that 13 mobile phones were recovered from the possession of the dacoits and an investigation was under way against those people in whose names the phone connections had been issued.

They further said that there were more mobile phones with the dacoits, which they were using to contact the relatives of the hostages.

Answering a question, they said that 10 policemen had been sent to jail on the allegation of being close to the dacoits and ASP Alam Khan Shinwari was investigating into the charge.

After the investigation, the DPOs said, those policemen who were found innocent would be released and others would be charge-sheeted.

They further said: "Notorious dacoits Sher Jatoi and Sadho Narejo with their accomplices have fled towards the dense forest while their hideouts had been occupied by police."

Police would chase the dacoits until ten hostages, including a woman of Shikarpur, were recovered, they added.

Answering another question, they said that police had arrested 25 suspects and added that care was being taken so that innocent villagers were not hurt in firing between police and the dacoits. However, they said that the villagers of Shah Belo forest provided food and information to the dacoits therefore they did not deserve sympathy.

Answering yet another question, the DPOs said that a floating bridge supplied by the army had been installed at the River Indus and two armoured personnel carriers had been sent to Hussain Belli forest.

They further said that more than 1,000 policemen were taking part in the ongoing operation which would continue till the elimination or surrender of the dacoits.

Meanwhile, the operation in the kutcho area of Shah Belo forest has again intensified.

On Thursday, police parties advanced to the Mangi Patan area where an exchange of fire took place between the dacoits and police which lasted for an hour.

As a result, a the-year-old girl Shaista was killed in cross fire. She is said to be the daughter of alleged dacoit Najam alias Najaf Jatoi.According to police, her body was taken away by the dacoits.