Police kill prime suspect in deadly ambush on cops in Rahim Yar Khan’s Katcha area – Pakistan

Punjab police said on Friday that the main culprit behind a rocket attack by gang members in Machka area of ​​Rahim Yar Khan district that killed 12 policemen has been killed.

Organized criminal gangs have been active in the riverine areas of southern Sindh and central Punjab for decades, often making money through kidnapping and ransom.

Two police vehicles with 22 officers were returning from a police camp in the Katcha (river) area. The recent rains had made the road extremely muddy, causing one of the vehicles to come to a standstill.

This is when the police group was reportedly attacked by bandits, who fired missiles at the vehicles and then opened fire, killing 11 policemen and injuring nine others. The death toll from the incident rose to 12 today.

Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar said Dawn that both the Punjab and Sindh police had launched a historic operation in the riverine area, with 320 Punjab police personnel deployed on the ground, besides the Sindh police.

Punjab police said today that in retaliation for yesterday’s attack, the main suspect was killed and five of his accomplices were injured.

“The Punjab Police have responded to the terrorist attack in the cuntcha areas. The main suspect who attacked police officers yesterday, Bashir Shar, has met his logical end,” police announced today in a message on X.

“During the Punjab police operation, five accomplices of bandit Bashir Shar — bandits Sanaullah Shar, Gada Ali, Kamlu Shar, Ramzan Shar and Gadi — were also injured,” police said.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had directed IG Anwar and other senior officials to go to Rahim Yar Khan to address the situation. Her Sindh counterpart Murad Ali Shah has also directed his provincial police chief to contact the Punjab Police, asking him to provide them all necessary assistance.

CM Maryam had also directed the Punjab Home Minister to immediately launch an operation in the Katcha areas, a message on X from her PML-N party said.

“It has ordered that a swift and effective response be made to the bandits, with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab leading the operation,” the PML-N said.

The number of police officers killed in the attack has now risen to 12.

“At least 12 police officers were killed and eight others were injured in the attack,” police spokesman Saif Ali Wains said. AFP.

According to Wains, the gang then used rocket launchers to attack the stranded officers.

In the early 1990s, the army had launched a large-scale operation against criminal gangs in Sindh, but they resurfaced after successive governments failed to maintain law and order in the province.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered “immediate and effective action” against the attackers, his office said in a statement on Thursday.

Fool-proof security ordered in Sindh

In addition, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has directed the police to remain on high alert and ensure flawless security across the province in view of the attack on Rahim Yar Khan.

“Security measures must be made extremely concrete and extraordinary at every level, on the occasion of Friday,” Lanjar said in a statement.

He ordered to keep police presence prominent at major mosques, imambargahs and Friday prayers. The minister also ordered to implement police patrols, snap checks and other security measures at Friday prayer gatherings.

Additional reporting by Imtiaz Ali