The violence erupted on the night between Wednesday and Thursday when more than 50 armed members of the Shar Gang stormed the village of Mahboob Seelro. The attack, both sudden and well-coordinated, caught members of the Seelro tribe off guard, resulting in six fatalities. The assailants used modern automatic weapons, leaving 18 people — including women and children — injured.
Reports from the area suggest that the Shar Gang was supported by members of the Kosh tribe, long-time rivals of the Seelro tribe. In retaliation, the Seelro tribe launched a counterattack that forced the Shar Gang to retreat and take cover in an Otaq (a local meeting place). Intense gunfire ensued, trapping the bandits inside.
More than 500 police officers from Sukkur and Ghotki reached the scene with armoured vehicles, sparking a day-long exchange of heavy fire. Contrary to police expectations, the Shar Gang used rocket launchers against security forces, destroying an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), killing one police officer, and injuring several others.
As the fight escalated, additional police contingents were dispatched to the Katcha area, where they launched a large-scale operation against the gangs. According to police sources, the Shar Gang suffered significant losses, with 12 members killed, while others fled — taking with them the bodies of four slain comrades and some injured associates.
SSP Ghotki Anwar Khetran informed The Express Tribune that his team had been stationed in the Katcha area for the past two days and had only just returned after intense gunbattle.
“When police reached the area, bandits from the Shar Gang fired at least five shells from an anti-tank weapon, the RR 75 at our APCs. One of our vehicle was hit by a shell, completely destroying the double-layered armored carrier. As a result, one police officer was martyred and two others were injured,” noted Khetran.
Responding to a query from The Express Tribune about how such advanced weaponry reached the bandits and which gangs possessed it, Khetran said, “It is deeply concerning that anti-tank weapons — which pose an extreme threat to police, are not only in the hands of the Shar Gang, but also with other active groups in the Sindh and Punjab Katcha areas, including the Mazari, Jagirani, and Teghani gangs.”
Khetran further explained that the RR 75 is a Russian-made military weapon that was used during the Soviet-Afghan war. “There is a possibility that these lethal weapons were recovered as scrap and later acquired by various criminal groups operating in the Katcha region,” he said.
After nearly 24 hours of combat, police recovered eight bodies from the Otaq. During identification, authorities confirmed that one of the slain bandit was identified as Shahnawaz alias Shahu, a notorious leader of the Shar Gang involved in the killing of 12 Punjab police officers.
Shahu on most wanted list with Rs5m headmoney
Shahu and his group on August 24, 2024, ambushed Punjab Police personnel in the Fatehpur area of Rahim Yar Khan. The officers were returning from police lines when their van broke down.
The bandits attacked from multiple directions using advanced weapons and rocket launchers, killing 12 officers and injuring several others. Following the ambush, Shahu was placed on the most-wanted list of both Sindh and Punjab police, with a Rs5 million bounty on his capture.
A senior police officer familiar with operations in Sindh and Punjab’s Katcha regions said the real conflict in Sindh’s Katcha belt is tribal in nature. The Shar Gang enjoys backing from the Kosh tribe, while the Seelro tribe is supported by the Bhatta, Mashi, and Dhundo tribes.
Sources revealed that tensions in Ronti, Ghotki, and Ubauro intensified last year following a dispute between the then-SSP Hafeez-ur-Rehman Bugti and DIG Pir Muhammad Shah. Both accused each other of protecting bandits, leading the Sindh inspector general to remove them from their posts.
Previously, Sindh Police had formed a special force comprising members of the Seelro tribe to counter the Shar Gang’s activities. The force, led by SHO Shakur Lakho — reportedly close to the DIG — was accused by the Shar Gang of receiving weapons, police vehicles, and armoured carriers from the authorities.
Former MPA Shehryar Shar, a member of the Shar tribe, had attempted to mediate a ceasefire between the police and the gang and persuaded the bandits to surrender. However, during the reconciliation process, Umar Shar, deputy chief of the Shar tribe (also known as Makhdoom), was killed. His death was blamed on the private force allegedly supported by Sindh Police, which included members of the Seelro tribe.