Riverine area op makes headway

Two men involved in criminal cases killed in crossfire

RAHIM YAR KHAN:

Punjab Police has advanced into the riverine Kacha area amid intermittent exchange of fire during which two suspected dacoits were killed on Tuesday.

The police say they have advanced towards Kacha Karachi and Kachi Haiderabad areas after clearing hundreds of acres of land of criminal elements.

The dacoits fired at the police, resulting in the death of two of the attacker in crossfire. They were identified as Bakhtiar and Muazzam.

The police said the men killed in the clash were members of the so called Machhi gang.

On checking the record, both of them were found involved in more than a dozen criminal cases. Two Kalashnikovs and several rounds were seized from them.

The police said the deceased men had been involved in crimes like attacks on police, robbery and kidnapping for ransom.

Rahim Yar Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Rizwan Umar Gondal is commanding the operation to clear the Kacha area of criminals, which continued for the third day.

Another dacoit had been killed and six arrested earlier during the operation.

The SHOs of several police stations are leading the personnel advancing into the area with armoured vehicles and modern weapons.

A heavy contingent of the Elite Force and other personnel is advancing and has demolished and torched hideouts of criminals in the cleared areas so that they cannot be inhabited again.

South Punjab Additional Inspector General Maqsoodul Hasan and other officials visited the operation area and reviewed the situation. During a briefing by RPO Rai Babar Saeed, they praised the police for clearing a large part of the Kacha area in just three days.

They said modern technical means and the support of all security agencies would be utilised in the operation.

The officials said the police had the support of all law enforcement agencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2023.