SUKKUR: Thirty members of the Surhio and Rind communities were booked on Tuesday following two armed attacks that sowed fear and panic in the areas along Quetta Road in Jacobabad and left a pedestrian wounded on Monday night.

Tension gripped the areas and elders of the two communities as well as leaders of several local political and social groups were making efforts to prevent a flare-up.

All academic, business and commercial activities in the affected areas remain­ed suspended and vehicular traffic mostly stayed off the road due to panic and fear on Tuesday.

Trouble started when a group of armed men belonging to the Rind community carried out an attack on the the house of the Jacobabad Sarafa Association president Samiullah Surhio on Quetta Road.

In retaliation, some members of the Surhio community also carried out an attack on some houses belonging to their rivals in the area leaving a pedestrian, Bilawal Lashari, wounded.

The incidents triggered an exchange of fire between the two sides that continued till the elite of the area intervened and persuaded them to settle their dispute through negotiations.

Nineteen members of the Surhio community and 11 members of the Rind community were booked at the Jacobabad police station.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2014