LARKANA, Dec 4: Larkana police after an armed encounter got released three men from the clutches of dacoits on Tuesday, who were kidnapped on late Monday night from village Vikya Sangi some 10 kilometres off here.

A gang of four bandits on late Monday night overpowered four villagers namely Roshan Ali Sangi, Mir Mohammed Golo, Nazir Hussain Khuhro and Dildar Golo while their were guarding the rice yield in a farm in the jurisdiction of Dhamraho police station.

Dildar Golo dodged the kidnappers, escaped and narrated the story to his relatives and later to the police, the sources said. The police led by DSP Saddar Ghulam Nabi Kerio chased the kidnappers by tracking their footprint.

The footprints vanished in the abandoned kutcha houses near village Saeed Ali Chandio in the limits of Mahi Makool police station, where the kidnappers had taken shelter with the kidnapped men.

ASP Jawed Odho and DSP Kambar joined the chasing party in this village.

The police challenged the kidnappers to come out but they opened fire on them which was returned.

After hour-long exchange of fire the dacoits slipped away leaving the three kidnapped men behind, police said.

The police was still after the dacoits.

PILOTS: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would induct three GD pilots from the SSC pass boys of Cadet College Larkana every year.

Prof S.M. Yusuf, principal of the college, disclosed this here on Tuesday.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir, the principal informed, had accorded special approval for inducting air cadets from the Larkana college.

He added that the PAF would bear financial expenses of their studies for two years after matric.

The candidates will go through the qualifying tests including ISSB to determine their merit after which the three selected boys would join PAF Academy Risalpur directly for GD Pilot course after passing intermediate examination, the principal concluded.