Six Balochistan cops killed by robbers in Jacobabad
A minor girl was also injured when unidentified persons opened fire on a police mobile near Nagan Chowrangi. PHOTO: AFP
At least six Balolchistan policemen were martyred and two others injured on Wednesday during an encounter with kidnappers in the limits of Mauladad police station of Jacobabad district along Sindh-Balochistan border.
Jacobabad SSP Sumair Noor Channa said that a police party from the Balochistan's Jafarabad district under SSP Hasnain Iqbal conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) to recover Furqan Soomro, the son of mill owner Haji Aslam Soomro, who was abducted from Rojahan Jamali in Balochistan a day earlier.
"The bodies and the injured officials have been shifted to Civil Hospital Jacobabad immediately and more police force has been dispatched," furthered Channa.
The martyred were identified as Inspector Muhammad Tayyab Umrani, Nisar Ahmad ATF Sibbi Balochistan, Abdul Wahab Pechuho, Muhammad Usman, Riaz Solangi and Khadim Hussain Shah.
The injured were identified as Hussain Ali and Altaf Ali.
An operation is still going on by the Jacobabad police to arrest the accused.
Umrani, Pechuho and Ahmed embraced martyrdom on the spot and Usman, Solangi, and Hussain Shah died on their way to hospital.
Police sources said that robbers were also well-equipped and besides automatic assault rifles they also had were armed with light-machine guns, anti-aircraft guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
The robbers escaped unhurt from the spot, police sources said commenting on the botched rescue attempt.
"We have contacted the Sindh police and government," Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove said talking to The Express Tribune.
He said the attackers would be brought to justice. Huge Contingents of police from Balochistan and Sindh provinces reached the Jageer area of Jacobaad to arrest the culprits behind the attack. Security was tightened on both sides of the provincial border in Jaffarabad and Jacobabad to make sure the arrest of the culprits, Langove added.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Quddus Bizenjo strongly condemned the incident and directed the police to arrest the culprits behind the attack. In a statement issued after the incident, the CM said that the attackers would be brought to justice and they would not be spared. The CM said the policemen laid down their lives for the recovery of the kidnapped mill owner's son. No arrest was made till filing of this report.
The funeral prayer of the martyred policemen was offered at Police Line Dera Allah Yar. Senior police officers, administration officers and people belonging to various walks of life participated in the funeral prayer. Heartbreaking scenes were also witnessed on the eve of the funeral prayer of the martyred policemen.
Earlier this month, a police official was martyred and two others besides a passerby man and a woman sustained gunshot injuries during the police operation against dacoits in a riverine forest in Kashmore-Kandhkot district.
SHO Jamal Abdul Latif Mirani died in the encounter with the robbers, while DSP Qalandar Bux Soomro and Constable Ishq Mirani were injured.
In March, the provincial cabinet of Sindh announced their decision to launch a joint operation aimed at cleaning up dacoits in the katcha areas of three provinces - Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan.
The move was prompted by the frequent incidents of kidnapping for ransom and gangs of dacoits operating from the riverine areas of Sindh, attacking police.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 27th, 2023.