SUKKUR: Shikarpur police claimed to have rescued from kidnappers a woman stage artist from Lahore after `intelligence-based` operation against dacoits in Garhi Tegho riverine area late on Thursday night.

Police officials said in a statement issued on Friday that a joint team of police and Rangers personnel carried out the operation to free the woman, who was taken hostage in Kashmore four months ago.

They said that the woman was hoodwinked into coming to Kashmore on the pretext of performing in a stage play, and was abducted by the gang of Noor Hasan Teghani, brother of GajiTeghani who carried Rs3 million head money.

They said that they had conducted the targeted operation after receiving a tipoff about the dacoits` presence in the riverine area. Their strategy was so effective that the gang of kidnappers abandoned the hostage during the operation and escaped into thick riverine forest, they claimed.

They said that the joint force in armoured personnel carriers was now pressing deep into the riverine area to catch up with the fleeing kidnappers.

Police officials said that the intelligence-based operation led by Shikarpur SSP Shahzeb Chachar and Wing Commander of Rangers would continue in the gang-infested riverine areas of the district to recover the remaining hos-tages.

SSP Chachar said that police were working round the clock to ensure protection to lives and properties of people, maintain peace on streets and roads and eliminate criminals.

Operation in Shikarpur The police statement further said that the joint force also carried out `intelligence-based` operation against Saad Khanani Jatoi gang and demolished and burnt down several hideouts of dacoits in the riverine area in Rustam taluka, Shikarpur district.

Police officials said that when the joint force surrounded the gang-infested area, fierce gun-battles ensued. Several gangsters fell wounded during the shootoutbut their associates managed to take them away, they said.

They said the operation was conducted in Kurar and Piyaro Jatoi villages to arrest dacoits, including Engineer Saad Khanani, Basho Saad Khanani, Q alandro Saad Khanani, Haji Saad Khanani, Mithal Saad Khanani and others.

They said that these dacoits were wanted by police in several cases of heinous crimes, such as highway robberies and kidnapping of passengers from Khanpur and other areas.

They said that checkpoints would be established at entry and exit routes of the gang-infested areas to prevent movement of dacoits. The targeted operation would continue in the riverine areas until all outlaws were eliminated and peace was restored, they vowed.