DEAR GHAZI KHAN, July 7: Gunmen have held hostage the nine police officials of two check posts in the riverside of the Indus in Rajanpur.

They resorted to rocket attacks at one of the posts on Sunday in which three police constables sustained injuries, sources said. Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur police and the gunmen were exchanging fire by the time of our going into the press at 12:30am.

Rajanpur police have established pickets and posts in the riverside, also called Indus Kacha areas, of the district to have vigilance on different gangs who have set up their hideouts in the highlands of the River Indus. Police sources said that on Sunday a post established in Kachhi Jamal in the remit of Shahwali police came under the rocket attack from gangsters, reportedly belonging to the Chhoto Mazari and other gangs.

Sources said that three police constables sustained injuries in the attack. After the attack, the officials left the post for another one situated one mile to the east of the post. Hours after, the officials of both posts lost their contacts with their senior officials.

Retired police inspector Muhammad Azam Khan told Dawn that his nephew, Constable Ghulam Yaseen who was deployed at one of the posts, told him through his cell phone that he with eight others had been held hostage by a gang. He said one of the alleged gangsters had talked to the brother of Ghulam Yaseen that their negotiations were going on with police authorities. He said the gangster had put up some demands to the police in exchange for the release of the officials. The caller, however, did not explain their demands.

The Indus Kacha area and Rajanpur rugged mountainous area are the safe havens for gangs involved in kidnap for ransom. In February this year, Dera Ghazi Khan Executive District Officer-health Mushtaq Rasool was kidnapped from Dera Ghazi Khan by a gang and was held in the Kacha area, mainly dominated by the Mazari tribe. His family ransomed the gang involving tribal elders and border military police.

Regional Police Officer Akhtar Umer Hayat Lalika told Dawn that nine police officials of the two pickets were missing and perhaps were being held hostage by a gang of 20 members. He said the Rajanpur police would soon rescue the missing personnel. He, however, denied the reports that policemen were injured in the rocket attack.

Sources claimed that a grand operation was being launched by Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur police in the areas reclaiming Kacha areas and highlands along the Indus Highway from gangs.

Meanwhile, a highwayman and a villager were killed in a police encounter in mauza Patti Tuli in the jurisdiction of Kala police station on Sunday.

Kala police chased the gunman who had taken away a motorcycle from Muhammad Khan, of Kala village. The encounter between police and the fleeing gunman held at mauza Pati Tuli wherein the gunman and a passerby villager were killed. Later on, the gunman was identified as Rab Nawaz, of mauza Chah Hasan Chak Girwan and villager as Essan, of Mauza Patti Tuli.

Kala Station House Officer Amar Yasir Merani Baloch told Dawn the case had been registered against the deceased accused on the report of complainant one Mohammad Khan.