Ghotki, Sindh – Police and Rangers successfully freed 10 passengers abducted from a Quetta-bound bus by armed bandits (dacoits) in the Ghotki district of Sindh. The operation is in progress to guarantee the safe rescue of the rest of the hostages.
The assault occurred late Monday night in the vicinity of Ubauro. Approximately 15 dacoits stopped the Sadabahar Company bus on the M-5 Motorway at the Punjab-Sindh border.
Having fired at the car and wounded the driver, the gunmen broke windows and got the male passengers out of the coach, allegedly leaving the female passengers unharmed.
Up to 25 passengers were initially reported abducted, according to unconfirmed reports on social media.
Overnight Rescue Operation
The operation to rescue commenced instantaneously under Sukkur Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Captain (retd) Faisal Abdullah Chachar. A DIG office statement said 10 kidnapped people were freed after a fire exchange with the dacoits in the Sonmiani region. According to rescued passengers, two of the dacoits were wounded in the skirmish.
The police have taken a firm stance, stating that all routes leading into the volatile Katcha area, the dense riverine land along the Indus River known for banditry, were immediately blocked. This crucial blockade prevented the bandits from taking the hostages deeper into the inaccessible territory.
The statement affirmed that the blockade still exists and the search for the dacoits is continuing until all the surviving passengers are found and the bandits are eliminated. The rescued have been relocated to safe places.
The Threat of the Katcha Area
The incident highlights the long-standing security dilemma of the Katcha region, which spans portions of northern Sindh and southern Punjab.
Over the decades, dozens of extremely armed gangs of bandits have been roaming freely with impunity, as high-level crimes, such as kidnappings with ransom demands, highway robberies, and extortion, are very common and pose a consistent danger to travellers and residents.
