At least two villagers were killed and four others sustained critical injuries including two minors in a pitched fight between two rival groups of Teghani and Bijarani tribes on Sunday over an old dispute involving occupation of farmland and cattle theft near Mehran Bijarani village.
According to the Napar-Kot police station house officer (SHO) Nadir Ali Mugheri, a group of 18 armed men belonging to the Teghani community attacked the village with rocket launchers, and killed two villagers identified as 25-year-old Miandad and 30-year-old Shahnawaz Bijarani on the spot, and injured four others including seven-year-old Sajan, eight-year-old Mehboob, Jalil and Dost Muhammad.
Following a retaliation attack by Bijarani tribesmen, the assailants retreated in disarray as one of the attackers identified as Nano Teghani was killed while four others received multiple gunshot wounds.
Consequently, the area police rushed to the spot, and prevented the situation from deteriorating further.
The policemen shifted the deceased’s bodies to Taluka Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Khanpur for autopsy.
Owing to their precarious condition, the injured were referred to the Civil Hospital Shikarpur for medical treatment after provision of first aid.
The simmering dispute has so far claimed 25 lives on both sides and left scores of others injured in tit for tat attacks.
The groups have set up pickets outside their villages to guard their areas where the villagers live in constant fear of sudden attacks.
Published in Daily Times, July 30th 2018.
