Key suspect behind katcha area ambush killed by Punjab police in retaliatory strike

The Punjab police announced on Friday that the main suspect behind the deadly rocket attack on police in Rahim Yar Khan's Machka area has been killed in a retaliatory operation.

The attack, which took place in the riverine katcha area, resulted in the martyrdom of 12 police officers.

The region, notorious for its organised criminal gangs, has long been a hotspot for kidnap-for-ransom operations, with such gangs operating in the riverine border areas of southern Sindh and central Punjab for decades.

The police sources said around two dozen police personnel were deployed at Machka Camp 2 in the riverine area. They were returning to Rahim Yar Khan in two police mobile vans for weekly holiday when one of their vehicles broke down due to stagnant floodwater in the area.

Seeing policemen trapped in the rainwater, the riverine dacoits fired rockets at the police party, leaving 15 of them dead. Two policemen sustained injuries in the attack while four were missing.

Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar confirmed to local media that both Punjab and Sindh police had launched a coordinated operation in the area, with 320 personnel from Punjab and additional forces from Sindh on the ground.

In a post on X, the Punjab police confirmed the death of the main suspect, Bashir Shar, in a retaliatory action following the attack. "The main suspect who led the assault on our officers, Bashir Shar, has met his fate," the police statement read. The operation also resulted in injuries to five of Shar’s accomplices: Sanaullah Shar, Gada Ali, Kamlu Shar, Ramzan Shar, and Gadi.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed IG Anwar and senior officials to oversee the operation in Rahim Yar Khan, while Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah instructed his provincial police chief to collaborate closely with Punjab authorities and provide any necessary support.

CM Maryam also ordered the Punjab home secretary to initiate an immediate operation in the Katcha areas, with the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab leading the effort, according to a statement from her party, PML-N.

The attack marks a severe escalation in violence in the region, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to call for "immediate and effective action" against those responsible.