Five Cops Martyred in Katcha Bandit Attack

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Five Elite Force officers killed in a brutal bandit attack on a Rahim Yar Khan checkpoint, prompting a swift police operation to apprehend the culprits.

A devastating attack by heavily armed bandits in the Katcha region of Rahim Yar Khan district claimed the lives of five Punjab Police Elite Force personnel on the night of July 31, 2025. The assault targeted the Sheikhani police checkpoint, leaving two other officers injured, according to a statement from the Punjab Police, as reported by Dawn.

The attack, executed by approximately 40 bandits wielding rocket launchers and grenades, occurred near the Guddu-Kashmore Road, a notorious hotspot in the lawless Katcha area along the Indus River. The martyred officers, identified as Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Saleem, Nukhail, Khalil, and Ghazanfar, were honored for their bravery, with three hailing from Bahawalnagar and two from Rahim Yar Khan, per The Express Tribune. One bandit was killed in retaliatory fire, and police have launched a large-scale operation, sealing entry and exit points to capture the assailants, as confirmed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar.

Dr. Anwar condemned the attack as a cowardly act, vowing that the Punjab Police’s resolve remains unshaken. He ordered Rahim Yar Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Irfan Ali Sammon to arrest those responsible, emphasizing ongoing operations against Katcha’s criminal gangs, according to Geo News. The Katcha region, spanning Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, and Rahim Yar Khan, has long been a haven for bandit groups exploiting its dense riverine terrain for kidnappings, extortion, and murders, as noted by PakTribune. Recent bandit threats on social media foreshadowed such attacks, per a Punjab Police statement.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed deep sorrow, directing authorities to provide top medical care for the injured and ensure justice, per Samaa TV. Security analyst Zahid Hussain, cited by The News International, highlighted the need for coordinated provincial efforts to dismantle these gangs, given their sophisticated weaponry. The fallen officers’ funeral prayers were held at Rahim Yar Khan police lines on August 1, 2025.