A Station House Officer (SHO) was martyred on Wednesday during a police operation targeting criminals in the Katcha area of Shikarpur district, officials said.

SHO Sohrab Ali Odho of Bachal Bhayo police station sustained fatal injuries when his team came under fire while attempting to apprehend dacoits in the village of Qadrani Jatoi, police said. Odho was shot in the head, whod later succumbed to his injuries in a Sukkur hospital.

Odho was leading the operation to crack down on criminal gangs in the region, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shikarpur, Shahzeb Chachar.

The officer’s funeral was held at the Shikarpur Police Headquarters on Wednesday evening, and his body was sent to his hometown in Jacobabad district. SSP Chachar has vowed to continue operations against criminal elements in the region, pledging support to the officer’s family.