Law and order: Three robbers killed in shootout, police say

Two suspects held for involvement in the Attock attack have been moved to Lahore

FAISALABAD: Faisalabad police claimed on Wednesday to have killed three robbers in a shootout late on Tuesday night, saying three others had managed to escape.

Police spokesman Muhammad Ramazan told The Express Tribune that Rail Bazaar police had arrested Sohail, Haleem and Shahzeb for robbery.

He said they were being taken to a hideout for recovery of stolen goods by Sub Inspector Zafar Zaman. When they reached Sheikhan Wala Phattak at Risala Road three men riding a motorbike opened fire at the police van.

The spokesman said the assailants manage to free the robbers.

He said they then fled, taking a constable’s rifle with them.

The spokesman said they later snatched another motorbike and Rs10,000 from a citizen.

He said when they reached the link road near Risala Road, they were stopped by a police team headed by Factory Area SHO Nadeem Anjum.

Ramazan said the police team had called for backup and were joined by DSP Factory Area Malik Khalid and SHO Samanabad and their teams.

He said later, an Elite Force team also joined the encounter.

He said the shootout lasted an hour and a half during which Sohail, Haleem and Shahzeb were killed. He said their accomplices managed to escape.

Ramazan said police had seized three motorbikes and three pistols from the area and had formed a team to apprehend the others.

The spokesman said three cases had been registered in this regard; an FIR had been registered by Samanabad police reporting the attack on police team and snatching of an official weapon.

Another FIR had been registered on the complaint of a citizen, Zahid, whose motorbike and cash were taken away.

He said Factory Area police had registered the third FIR regarding the encounter, interference in official work and illegal possession of weapons.

The spokesman said the bodies had been sent to the mortuary for post mortem examination.

Two suspects shifted to Lahore

Two people arrested from Samanabad near the house of Law Minister Rana Sanuallah have been moved to Lahore for interrogation

Police spokesman Muhammad Ramazan said intelligence teams had raided a house in C-Block Samanabad at 4 AM and taken two suspects in custody.

He said the men were between 25 and 35 years of age and were believed to have links with a banned outfit.

He said they had been detained because of their suspected involvement in the attack on the Punjab home minister last week.

He said they had been living in a rented house. He said weapons and explosives had also been seized in the raid.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2015.