HYDERABAD:
Violent tribal and communal animosities claimed the lives of six more people Monday and injured half a dozen men and women. The incidents took place in Rustam, Shikarpur and Sujawal Junejo, Kambar-Shahdadkot.
Two groups of the Mahar caste allegedly exchanged gunfire in the riverside village of Aamil in Rustam. Rahib, Sarwar and Aitbar, all Mahar by caste, died during the firing, while two men and four women sustained gunshot wounds.
Aitbar belonged to the Ghaus Bux Gadani Mahar group while Rahib and Kalu belonged to the Kalu Mahar group. Residents told police that due to firing between the two sides, the bodies were lying on the ground for two to three hours. The police then sent contingents to end the clashes and transport the dead bodies to Ghulam Shah Taluka Hospital.
The police also remained present during Namaz-e-Janaza and the burial to prevent a recurrence of bloodshed. However, no suspect was arrested and the police were unable to register an FIR in the evening. The injured were shifted to Sukkur.
Moreover, a fight between two groups of the Jatoi caste in Sujawal Junejo cost the lives of Hakim Jatoi and two passers-by, Zameer Tunio and Manzoor Korai, 50 years old. Kambar-Shahdadkot police said the slain men were sitting in their guest house when gunmen on motorcycles fired at them with bullets from automatic rifles.
Saeed Jatoi was seriously injured during the assault. The attackers managed to flee after the killings. The crime scene is located near Ghulam Rasool Korai village along the highway. The bodies were shifted to Meeru Khan Civil Hospital for post-mortem. The FIR of the incident could not be registered in the evening.
Meanwhile, Shikarpur police claimed to have killed a suspected bandit and injured two others in an encounter on Jaganh Link Road under New Faujdari police station limits. Police identified the slain suspect as Khanu Sundrani. The injured suspects fled the scene. According to reports, Khanu was hit by bullets fired by his own accomplices.
