DERA GHAZI KHAN, Oct 26: A Border Military Police official and three men of the Houbara Foundation were injured late Monday night in an ambush at Bara check post in Rajanpur, about 150 kilometres from here.

Reports reaching here said a protection team of the Houbara Foundation, a non-government organization which allegedly facilitates Arab dignitaries in hunting of endangered species of houbara bustard, comprising five men, one of them a BMP official, was travelling towards its camp by a jeep (66748-Abu Dhabi) when the officials were shot at by unidentified people.

The ambush left four of them - driver Muhammad Ashraf, BMP official Sawar Habibullah, Khan Muhammad and Suleman - grievously injured. They were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital from where they were referred to the Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan.

Ironically, the Punjab police and the BMP could not settle the dispute they had about the jurisdiction because the incident took place between Shahwli police station and Bara military police check post. There was no action till last reports came in.

When contacted, the political assistant to the Rajanpur tribal area told this correspondent while quoting the injured that the assailants seemed to be local Mazaris. However, a representative of the Punjab police claimed that they were Bugti outlaws.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan government facilitates Arab dignitaries to hunt houbara bustard in Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan. Attacks on the protection team in Rajanpur are a routine matter, as several incidents have taken place in which the teams have faced loss of lives.