5 policemen killed in bandits' attack in southern Pakistan

At least five policemen were killed when a group of over 100 armed bandits stormed a security checkpoint in southern Pakistan on Sunday, police and local media reported.

The incident took place in Obaro town located in a remote riverine area of Ronti in southern Sindh province.

Ghotki district police chief Tanvir Hussain Tunio told reporters the deceased included a deputy superintendent of police and two inspectors. Another four cops, including an inspector, were injured in the ambush.

A senior police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, told Anadolu Agency that the policemen have been killed in a rocket attack by the bandits.

The remote Ronti area has long been a sore point for security forces, which have launched several operations in the recent past to eliminate bandits involved in robberies and kidnap for ransom in the bordering districts of Sindh and Punjab.

The security check-post attacked by the bandits was set up to maintain law and order in the region, the police chief said.

A clash between the police and the "heavily armed" bandits is still ongoing as reinforcement from adjacent districts has been sent to the troubled region, according to Tunio.