SUKKUR: Police claimed killing three bandits and freeing three hostages after a pitched battle with notorious Jagirani gang in an anti-dacoit operation in riverine area of Kandhkot on Thursday. A woman and a passerby were hurt in the crossfire.

Police officials said the operation was launched by Kandhkot-Kashmore SSP Amjad Shaikh early in the morning in which several hundred police personnel in mobile vans and armoured personnel carriers took part. As police neared hideouts of Jiand Jagirani, the gang leader, the criminals opened fire and police responded in the same manner. The exchange of fire continued for several hours, they said.

They said the criminals used sophisticated weapons and also fired rockets but at last police succeeded to kill Shamshad aka Shamshoo Jagirani, Ayaz Jagirani and Ali Bux, son of Jiand Jagirani.

They said that there were reports that Jiand’s wife was also killed but did not confirm her death. Police shifted the bodies and the wounded belonging to Mahar clan to Kandhkot Civil Hospital. The injured were later shifted to a Sukkur hospital due to their critical condition.

Meanwhile, a large number of citizens gathered outside the hospital after learning about the death of criminals and raised slogans in favour of police, which was definitely a pleasant change for the law-enforcers who almost always faced peoples’ wrath.

Kandhkot-Kashmore SSP Amjad Shaikh told local reporters that the operation had been launched to uproot the entrenched criminal culture in the riverine area and it would continue till complete elimination of all outlaws. Two of the criminals who were killed in the operation also carried head money, he said.

About police strategy, he said that first police managed to move deep into the area and then they cordoned off all the hideouts so “seamlessly” that no outlaw could find any room to flee.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2020