After taking over command of operation Zarb-e-Aahan from Inspector General Police Punjab, the troops have cordoned off the riverine area of the Indus River from all four sides before flushing out the feared Chhotu gangsters in the Rajanpur-Rahimyar Khan districts bordering Sindh/Balochistan provinces to escape.
The hardened criminals numbering around 150 are using 24 policemen as a human shield whom the gang had taken hostages in the initial days of the ill-prepared, badly co-ordinated and poorly armed operation against the criminals who had the facility to freely skip to Sindh, Balochistan and KPK provinces to escape from the long arm of the law.
Addressing a news conference on the 20th day of the operation IGP Mushtaq Sukhera admitted failure of the police campaign and handing over command to the Army. He said the government's first priority is safe release of 24 policemen. He said about 100 facilitators of the criminals have been arrested.
An Army spokesman said the cordon had been reinforced while police and Rangers would continue to participate in the mission under army's supervision.
According to media reports, security personnel gave the gangsters until Sunday evening to release abducted policemen and surrender, or 'be wiped out' from the 10km long island in the centre of the Indus River.
At least six police officials have been killed since the start of the operation - Zarb-e-Aahan - to recapture the island.
The gang-led by Ghulam Rasool also known as Chhotu, a long time criminal active in the border areas of the provinces of Punjab and Sindh-is blamed for hundreds of cases of kidnapping for ransom, murder and robbery.
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