21 policemen martyred in shootouts

Twenty-one personnel from the Sindh police have lost their lives in the line of duty in encounters during coordinated efforts against street crimes and terrorism, according to the performance report presented to the provincial police chief Rifat Mukhtar Raja. The report highlighted the significant impact of the police's actions, resulting in the elimination of 1,726 criminal gangs through 3,158 police encounters across various police ranges in the province.

The success was attributed to the implementation of strategic police measures, rapid response, and timely interventions against criminal activities. The breakdown of the encounters revealed that a total of 19,803 dacoits/accused, 93 terrorists, eight target killers, 28 notified dacoits, 26 highway robbers, and 38 kidnappers, including 26,914 fugitives, were apprehended.

Moreover, 16,135 wanted suspects were arrested during police encounters and raids conducted between law enforcement and criminal elements in districts such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, and Larkana police range. Similarly, 278 dacoits, criminals, three terrorists, four dacoits, three highway dacoits, and one kidnapper were neutralised during police encounters and raids. In Karachi range, 10,449 suspects, one terrorist, one target killer, one robber, 20 highway robbers, 23 kidnappers, along with 1,515 criminals and 9,090 fugitives, were arrested in 1,080 police encounters.

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Moreover, 1,005 criminal gangs were dismantled across the city. In Hyderabad range, 5,502 criminals, 11 kidnappers, 2,058 wanted suspects, and 4,239 fugitives were arrested in 330 police encounters, leading to the elimination of 253 criminal gangs. In other regions, the report indicated that 129 dacoits/criminals, one terrorist, and three highway robbers were apprehended in Karachi, 17 dacoits/ criminals in Hyderabad, nine dacoits/ criminals in Shaheed Benazirabad, and 83 dacoits/criminals in Sukkur. Moreover, one robbery resulted from police encounters across Sindh, showcasing the crackdown against criminal elements. In Larkana, 40 robbers/ criminals and three robbers were killed.

The comprehensive police report concluded that a total of 364 dacoits were arrested in 188 police encounters, as a result of intelligencebased operations against dacoits in Sukkur, Ghotki, Kashmore, and Shikarpur areas until Dec 29 this year. Furthermore, 52 dacoit gangs were dismantled, and 40 dacoits were neutralised during these police encounters.