Kutcha bandits kill 2, kidnap 10 passengers in motorway strike

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Terror struck the M-5 Motorway near Azimpur Interchange when more than 20 armed bandits from the Andhar gang opened indiscriminate fire on vehicles travelling between Sindh and Punjab late Wednesday night.

The attack left two drivers dead, three people injured, and 10 passengers kidnapped at gunpoint.According to details, the sudden assault created chaos and panic, forcing passengers to abandon their vehicles in a desperate attempt to save their lives. The deceased were identified as Qalb Abbas (32) and Farrukh Abbas (30), both drivers. Another driver, Zubair, sustained injuries but was later discharged from Sheikh Zayed Hospital after receiving first aid, while the bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families.

The armed bandits kidnapped 10 passengers Umar Farooq and Muhammad Imran of Nawabshah; Abdul Majeed of Bahawalpur; driver Ahil and Ali Hassan of Mianwali; Munir Ahmad, Qamar Patafi, and Inayatullah Patafi of Dera Ismail Khan; and Ali Hassan and Shaukat of Kandhkot, Sindh. They were taken towards the kutcha area under heavy armed cover. Upon receiving reports of the firing and abductions, a heavy contingent of police reached the scene, halting traffic on both sides of the motorway. This caused miles-long queues of stranded vehicles that lasted late into the night.

Police sources revealed that the attack was likely carried out in retaliation for drone strikes conducted two days earlier on Andhar gang hideouts in the Kutcha Ronti area, which had inflicted heavy casualties. Authorities confirmed that an intelligence-based operation is underway to recover the hostages safely and eliminate the gang.Meanwhile, Bhong police have registered a case against more than 25 armed attackers, including the ringleader of the Andhar gang.