Police destroyed 17 hideouts of suspected bandits during an overnight operation in the Katcha area of Rajanpur, as a joint action by Punjab and Sindh police continued against criminal groups, officials said.
District Police Officer Rajanpur, Muhammad Imran, said the operation was carried out in riverine areas where gangs of dacoits are active. He said five individuals were recovered during the raid, initially believed to be abductees, including a doctor and a dispenser.
According to the DPO, police demolished 17 hideouts used by the dacoits during the operation. He said a large cache of weapons was also recovered from the sites, including rocket launchers, anti-aircraft guns and RPGs.
However, Senior Superintendent of Police Anwar Khitran said the recovered doctor and dispenser were not kidnapping victims but facilitators of the criminal gangs. He said both individuals were providing medical treatment to injured dacoits and had staged a fake abduction to avoid arrest.
SSP Khitran said the doctor and dispenser belonged to the Nawazabad area of Sadiqabad. He added that both were injured during a drone strike carried out as part of the police operation.
Police officials said the operation in the Katcha area is ongoing and further action will be taken against criminal elements and their facilitators.
