KOHAT,  Feb 7: The law enforcing agencies arrested 45 people and demolished eight houses in a joint operation against the outlaws wanted in the murders of three police officials on Thursday, a spokesman for the DIG Kohat region told Dawn here.

The operation in Ping and Zher Ping area of frontier region Bannu was ordered by the NWFP chief minister Akram Khan Durrani after receiving several complaints against a large gang of outlaws active in the area for the last so many years.

The operation, led by deputy inspector general of police, Kohat region,  Ghulam  Mohammad and SSP, Abid Ali,  was jointly conducted by frontier constabulary,  police commandos and scouts. About 500 troops participated in the operation whereas bulldozers were used to demolish the houses of the notorious gangsters, patronised by a local influential. The ring leader of the gang Amir Sultan was also arrested.

The gang which was active in the  area for the last one decade and involved in  assassinations and kidnapping for ransom had killed SHO Akbar Khan and two police constables while trying to free its gangster, Bakhai from their custody. The policemen had died instantly during an exchange of firing with the outlaws on Bannu-Kohat road.