LARKANA: Three persons were gunned down by a group of some 10 assailants in the woods of Ketti Kuriya on Monday in what is believed to be resurgence of violent attacks involving Bhuttos and Khuhros of Larkana. According to local people, the death toll in the 10-year-old hostility between the two communities over a land dispute has risen to 15 with the fresh killings.

They said that some wood cutters, said to be working for well-known politician Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, were busy cutting timber in the area when they were attacked by the assailants, allegedly belonging to the Khuhro community.

They said seven wood cutters sustained bullet wounds in the attack and two of them died on the spot. Another one succumbed to his wounds while the victims were being transported to hospitals, they added.

The attack triggered a long spell of gunfire causing a great deal of tension in the entire katcha area of Ketti Kuria.

The deceased were identified as Momin Kuriyo, 34, and Sadoro Kuriyo, 37, who died instantly, and Naheed Narejo, while being taken to a hospital in Naudero by people from the nearby villages.

The wounded men were identified as Sattar, Suhino, Hatim and Gulzar (belonging to the Kuriyo caste) and Hakeem Narejo. They were referred to the Chandka Medical College Hospital by doctors at the Naudero hospital.

DSP Abdul Sami Veesar verified local people’s claim that the attack was the latest in a series of such violent incidents, involving Bhuttos and Khuhros, in the 10-year-old land dispute.

Ketti Mumtaz SHO Abdul Ghani Jeho, however, regretted to comment saying that was yet to assume the charge.

No FIR of the incident was registered till late in the evening.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2018