Surgical strikes: Army helicopters support strike against Zanglani gang

The gang was accused of abducting the NA deputy speaker and a Health EDO.

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

A police operation against the notorious Ghulam Hussain Zanglani gang continued for the second day on Sunday.

The operation is being conducted jointly by police commandoes, Elite Force, Border Military Police and Balochistan Levies personnel. Army helicopters were also called in to support the operation, District Police Officer (DPO) Ghulam Mubashar Maikan has confirmed.

Based in Pattizai, the Zanglani gang is wanted for kidnapping for ransom, human trafficking, burglaries and murder. The gang is accused of killing many policemen in shootouts.



Police said several members of the gang had been injured in the operation. Those injured had fled into the mountains, they said. Two policemen had received serious injuries in the operation.

Police said the gang was involved in human trafficking and abducted women, mostly from Punjab, and sold them in other provinces. They are also accused of kidnapping National Assembly Deputy Secretary Malik Moazzam Ali Kalru earlier this year and Health Executive District Officer (EDO) Dr Mushtaq Rasool last year. Dr Rasool was later released after Rs5 million ransom was paid.

DPO Maikan, Border Military Police and Balochistan Levies commandant Shahid Mehbooob had developed a strategy for the operation. Armoured personnel carriers were used to transport police commandoes and gunship helicopters were later called in to support the personnel, the DPO said.

Maikan said they would continue the operation until the gang members were arrested or killed.

The operation on the ground was being led by Rajanpur CIA in-charge Inspector Iqbal Chandia and SHO Malik Saleem, he said.

Police sources said the gang members had extensive knowledge of the terrain and were creating difficulties for the police. They said this was the first time an operation of this scale had been launched in the area. The sources said helicopters were being used to clear the path for police on the ground. In March, Punjab Assembly member Sardar Jamal Laghari had raised the issue in a Punjab Assembly session and demanded an operation against the gang.



Muhammad Ashraf, a constable who was injured in the operation and was being treated at the DHQ hospital, said the police had also raided the house of the gang leader Ghulam Hussain Zanglani and seized a large cache of weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles.

Later at a press-conference, the DPO said the gang leader had escaped from police custody in 1996. He had been leading a gang of criminals since then. “It has been 18 years since Pattizai has become a no-go area. No law-enforcement agency has ever conducted an operation there.” He said the police would conduct a search operation to arrest the suspects who have hidden in citizens’ houses. Women and children in the area had been evacuated.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2014.