SUKKUR, June 14 Armed villagers on Monday drove away a contingent of policemen who wanted to raid their village along with footprint trackers and sniffer dogs, snatching government weapons from three of the security personnel, according to sources in the village.

The villagers had reportedly taken 12 footprint trackers and their sniffer dogs hostage after the policemen fled the Mushki Nandvani village, near Karampur in Kandhkot-Kashmore area.

The police party had gone there in search of bandits who had robbed a medical superintendent of Thull hospital, Dr Amanullah Khoso, late on Sunday night while he was going to Tangwani in a car.

The robbers opened fire when the doctor put up resistance and injured his driver Zaid Bhatti. They snatched cash and mobile phone from the doctor.

The sources said that a heavy contingent of police, aided by sniffer dogs and footprint experts, entered the village in the morning.

The villagers had an exchange of fire with police, forcing them orcers fled, said the sources.

The sources said that those taken hostage included Siddiq Naseerani, Sabbir, Mohammad Ismail, Baboo, Hamid Khoso, Yakoob Khoso and others.

Mobile van of Tangwani SPO was damaged in firing but there was no of any casualty or eventuality.

Tangwani SPO Sadiq Odho told this correspondent that when police raided the village the armed villagers opened fire at them, which was returned. But since the villagers outnumbered policemen they returned and would raid the village later along with an armoured personnel carrier, he said.

He denied reports that the villagers had taken some persons as hostages and snatched weapons from some policemen.