Seven killed, three injured in tribal clash

Soomro and Rind communities have been fighting over land since three years

SUKKUR: At least seven persons were killed and three injured in an armed clash on Sunday between the Soomro and Rind tribes over a land dispute in Liaqat Rind village, situated in Garhi Khairo taluka of Jacobabad.

According to reports, the Soomro and Rind communities have been feuding over a piece of land for the last three years. On Sunday, when some of the men from both communities were tilling the land, a heated argument took place which resulted in an exchange of fire in which seven people were killed and three others injured.

The gun-battle was waged for over an hour and the situation was only brought under control on the arrival of police. The bodies and injured were shifted to Jacobabad hospital. Those killed were identified as Mashooq Dahani, Hameed Dahani, Ghulam Soomro, Murad Soomro, Manzoor Soomro, Imtiaz Soomro and Kaloo Soomro. The names of the injured persons have yet to be released.

Jacobabad SSP Sajjid Khokhar said that the police conducted a house-to-house search. Informed sources claimed that some time ago former minister Manzoor Panhwar had reconciled the dispute between the two communities but the ceasefire has ended with this incident.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Panhwar said both tribes had been at war for a piece of land since three years. The matter regarding the land between the two was resolved amicably and two-thirds of the land was given to the Soomros, while one-third was given to the Rinds, he explained. The Soomros, however, refused to abide by the decision and thus tension between the two communities persisted, which, on Sunday, resulted in bloodshed, explained Panhwar.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th,  2016.