Islamabad: Six persons, including two women,
were killed in a shootout near the Pakistani capital on Thursday
during a botched bid by police to free an abducted doctor.
Police commandos launched a pre-dawn operation at Wah
area after learning that the doctor, Tallal Khan, was being
held by his abductors in a house in the town.
The kidnappers shot dead Khan and began firing
indiscriminately at the police, triggering a gun battle.
Sub Inspector Raja Hassnain and four persons in the
house, including two women, were killed in the exchange of
fire.
A Deputy Superintendent of Police and a sub-inspector
were injured, DSP Raja Taifoor Akhter told reporters.
The doctor was kidnapped by a gang of outlaws a month
ago.
The gang, which was involved in several abduction cases,
had demanded a ransom of Rs 60 lakh for his release, Akhter
said.
The operation went wrong even though a large contingent
of police commandos from Haripur and Taxila, backed by
armoured vehicles, was deployed for the raid.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, December 29, 2011, 15:47