LARKANA - Seven most wanted notorious bandits were killed in an alleged encounter with Larkana police in the riverine area located within the limits of Baradri Jatoi Police Station, near Larkana on Thursday.

The operation lasted seven hours and was led by Larkana SSP Masood Bangash. It was conducted in the Kachha area near Keti Mumtaz that connected Larkana and Khairpur.

Among the killed gangsters were Pathan and Iqbal Narejo, two wanted criminals. According to SSP Bangash, they were wanted in over 100 cases and there was Rs1 million in head money being offered for each of them. The operation was conducted after the police received intelligence from a source.

Weapons were also seized from the gangsters, including rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns.

Bangash said their deaths were a big success for the Larkana police. During the seven-hour operation, the Khairpur police were not informed of the action and remained clueless.

SSP Larkana Masood Bangash got a tip at midnight that a gang of hardened bandits was hiding in the riverine area. He then immediately ordered movement of his cops to the Ketty Mumtaz police station which too is located in the katcha area of Larkana district. 

The whereabouts of the dacoits, who were wanted by police in kidnapping for ransom, murder, robberies and other heinous crimes, were also traced through digital devices. Seeing heavy police contingents, the bandits opened fire which was retaliated, a police officer told this scribe. The hardened criminals started running in the jungle which were followed and killed in the retaliatory firing within the limits of Khairpur district riverine area.