18 others injured, outlaws used advanced weapons and police APC destroyed in rocket launcher strike
At least 18 people, including a police officer, women and children, lost their lives during clashes between groups of armed bandits in the Katcha region of Sindh. The violent shooting also left 18 others injured. According to police and area residents, “Since Thursday, Ronti has become a battlefield, with continuous sounds of explosions and gunshots echoing throughout the area. »
Violence broke out during the night from Wednesday to Thursday when more than 50 armed members of the Shar Gang stormed the village of Mahboob Seelro. The attack, both sudden and well-coordinated, caught members of the Seelro tribe off guard, leaving six people dead. The attackers used modern automatic weapons, injuring 18 people, including women and children.
Reports from the area suggest that the Shar Gang was supported by members of the Kosh tribe, long-time rivals of the Seelro tribe. In retaliation, the Seelro tribe launched a counterattack which forced the Shar Gang to retreat and take shelter in an Otaq (a local meeting place). Intense gunfire ensued, trapping the bandits inside.
More than 500 police officers from Sukkur and Ghotki arrived at the scene in armored vehicles, triggering a heavy exchange of fire that lasted the entire day. Contrary to police expectations, the Shar Gang used rocket launchers against security forces, destroying an armored personnel carrier (APC), killing a police officer and injuring several others.
As the fighting intensified, additional police contingents were sent to the Katcha region, where they launched a large-scale operation against the gangs. According to police sources, the Shar Gang suffered significant losses, with 12 members killed, while others fled, taking with them the bodies of four killed comrades and some injured associates.
SSP Ghotki Anwar Khetran informed The Express PK Press Club that his team had been stationed in the Katcha region for two days and had just returned after intense exchanges of gunfire.
“When the police arrived at the scene, the Shar Gang bandits fired at least five shells from an anti-tank weapon, RR 75, at our APCs. One of our vehicles was hit by a shell, completely destroying the double-layer armored vehicle. As a result, one police officer was martyred and two others were injured,” Khetran noted.
Respond to a query The Express PK Press Club On how these advanced weapons reached the bandits and which gangs possessed them, Khetran said: “It is deeply concerning that the anti-tank weapons – which pose an extreme threat to the police, are not only in the hands of the Shar Gang, but also in the hands of other groups active in the Sindh and Punjab Katcha regions, including the Mazari, Jagirani and Teghani gangs.
Khetran further explained that the RR 75 is a Russian-made military weapon that was used during the Soviet-Afghan War. “It is possible that these deadly weapons were recovered as scrap metal and later acquired by various criminal groups operating in the Katcha region,” he said.
After nearly 24 hours of fighting, police recovered eight bodies in Otaq. During identification, authorities confirmed that one of the slain bandits was identified as Shahnawaz alias Shahu, a notorious Shar Gang leader involved in the killing of 12 Punjab policemen.
Shahu on the most wanted list with a budget of Rs 5 million
Shahu and his group on August 24, 2024 ambushed the Punjab Police personnel in Fatehpur area of Rahim Yar Khan. The police officers were returning from the police station when their van broke down.
The bandits attacked from several directions using advanced weapons and rocket launchers, killing 12 officers and injuring several others. Following the ambush, Shahu was placed on the Sindh and Punjab police’s most wanted list, with a bounty of Rs 5 million for his capture.
A senior police officer familiar with operations in the Katcha belt of Sindh and Punjab said that the real conflict in the Katcha belt of Sindh is tribal in nature. The Shar Gang enjoys the support of the Kosh tribe, while the Seelro tribe is supported by the Bhatta, Mashi and Dhundo tribes.
Sources revealed that tensions in Ronti, Ghotki and Ubauro escalated last year following a dispute between SSP Hafeez-ur-Rehman Bugti and DIG Pir Muhammad Shah. Both accused each other of protecting bandits, leading the Inspector General of Sindh to remove them from their posts.
Earlier, the Sindh Police had formed a special force comprising members of the Seelro tribe to counter the activities of the Shar Gang. The force, led by SHO Shakur Lakho – said to be close to the DIG – was accused by the Shar Gang of receiving weapons, police vehicles and armored vehicles from the authorities.
Former MPA Shehryar Shar, a member of the Shar tribe, had tried to broker a ceasefire between the police and the gang and persuaded the bandits to surrender. However, during the reconciliation process, Umar Shar, deputy leader of the Shar tribe (also known as Makhdoom), was killed. His death was blamed on private forces allegedly supported by the Sindh police, which included members of the Seelro tribe.
