SIALKOT: Five notorious dacoits were shot dead in four separate police encounters across Punjab in the cities of Lahore, Okara, Sialkot, and Chiniot, according to reports.
The encounters occurred as Crime Control Department (CCD) teams engaged in operations to apprehend suspected criminals.
The first encounter took place in Lahore’s Nawankot area, where an accused dacoit, Qasim Ali, was killed by his own companions after opening fire at the police van. The police had been taking Ali for recovery when his colleagues, waiting outside the van, attempted to free him by firing on the officers. The CCD team had been pursuing Ali, who was wanted in over two dozen criminal cases.
In the second encounter, which took place in Chak No 135, within the jurisdiction of Rajoa Police Station, Chiniot, a dacoit named Sarfraz was shot and killed during a gunfight with the CCD team led by ASI Ejaz Asghar. The dacoits had opened fire when they saw the police team approaching.
Sarfraz, a wanted criminal with a history of police encounters, died after sustaining serious gunshot wounds. Another accomplice managed to flee the scene.
The third encounter occurred near Railway Station in Iqbal Town, Okara, when three dacoits opened fire on a police van after barricading a road. The police, acting in self-defense, retaliated.
During the exchange of fire, one dacoit was killed by the gunfire of his own companions, and the other two managed to escape in the darkness. A heavy police contingent was deployed to secure the area, and authorities confirmed they are working on identifying the dead dacoit.
The fourth encounter unfolded at Ladhar Chowk in Sialkot’s Saddar Police Station jurisdiction. A police team had signaled three suspicious individuals riding a motorcycle to stop. Instead of complying, the dacoits opened fire at the police and fled the scene. Police retaliated, and during the subsequent search of the area, two dead bodies were recovered.
The bodies were found near a motorcycle, along with two 30-bore pistols. Authorities confirmed that one of the dacoits managed to escape, and an ongoing search operation is underway to capture the remaining criminals.
In all four encounters, the police acted in self-defense, and the CCD team remains focused on apprehending other members of the criminal gangs involved in these violent incidents.
