19 kidnapped after katcha decoits attack bus en route Quetta

20 armed decoits from katcha area ambushed a passenger bus travelling to Quetta and abducted 19 male passengers.

According to the eye-witnesses the women and children on the bus were left unharmed.

The incident happened on Monday after the bus from Sadabahar Company left Sadiqabad for Quetta around 8 pm. When bus reached the area of Murid Shakh near Motorway M-5 and took a turn towards Guddu, 65 km from Rahim Yar Khan, the decoits, some on foot and some in vehicles, blocked the road and opened fired to stop the bus. 

The videos of passengers on social media claim that the decoits broke the windows to get in the bus. After kidnapping the male passengers, the decoits fled towards the dense katcha area. The Katcha area comprises of a riverbed and a forest region, and it is a well-known criminal hideout as it is extremely difficult to access. 

After the attack, police were immediately dispatched to the crime scene. The bus driver also sustained some injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. At the time of reporting, repeated calls from the families of the victims to the district police were left unanswered. Reports from SSP Sukkur Azhar Mughal reveal that 11 out of 19 abductees have been safely rescued while efforts are being made to rescue the remaining 8. Also, police is on active look out for the suspects.

This incident has left people concerned about their safety while travelling on interprovincial routes, especially while passing through remote areas along the Sindh-Punjab border.