KHAIRPUR, July 1: Five dacoits and a policeman were killed in an encounter in a village near Ahmedpur town of this district on Monday. An SDPO and an SHO were among those seriously injured in the clash.

Acting upon a tip off, the DPO of Khairpur, Abdul Khaliq Shaikh, led a strong contingent of police to capture notorious dacoits, Dhanno Shaikh, Sadu Narejo and Qadu Junejo who were spotted moving around the Channa village with their gang members.

Two different police parties, headed by the DSP of Pir Jo Goth, Ghulam Akbar Wagan, and the SDPO of Keti Pagaro, Imran Khan Awan, entered into the village separately.

The dacoits sensing the danger, started shooting at the police personnel and fired several rockets at the armoured personnel carrier causing damage to it.

Their attack led to the start of an encounter, at about 1pm which was continuing when last reports came in at about midnight.

Senior police official confirmed at sunset that a constable of special police team, Ishaq Ali Abbasi, was killed while the SDPO, Imran Awan, SHO of Sadiq Kalhoro police station, Basheer Mangi and a constable, Ghulam Akbar Mallah were seriously injured during the encounter.

The injured were admitted to the Civil Hospital, Khairpur.

A late night report said that a straw-made house, where dacoits had taken refuge to escape police pressure, was set on fire by the police. Charred bodies of two dacoits were recovered from the smouldering structure, in village Mang Taggar, and in the following hot-pursuit, police killed three more outlaws.

One of the dead dacoits has been identified as Dhani Bux alias Dhanno Shaikh against whom as many as 100 cases of murder, kidnapping for ransom, robbery and other heinous crimes have been registered at different police stations. He carried a headmoney of one million rupees.

Another dead dacoit has been identified as Qadu Junejo, who leads a notorious gang operating in the area for a decade.