Violent crime: Three robbers killed in shootout

BAHAWALPUR: Police claimed on Sunday that three robbers were killed in a crossfire between police and their accomplices.

Baghdadul Jadeed Police said SI Muhammad Aslam was stationed at a Shashmahi Canal with a police patrol when he received a message on his wireless set that SI Muhamad Sajjad’s team had arrested three robbers, Muhammad Jameel, Khateeb and Ateeq, and was bringing them from Chak 24-BC.

They were accosted by nine men on three motorcycles near Chak 27-BC 9 who opened fire at the police vehicle.

SI Aslam was informed about the incident and he took his team to the scene. They saw that the robbers’ accomplices shooting at the police vehicle.

Police said they told the criminals to surrender but they kept on shooting. The police then returned the fire. They said Jameel, Ateeq and Khateeb ran towards their accomplices but were killed in the crossfire. Their accomplices saw them die and fled into the fields.

Police said they took bodies to a hospital for post-mortem examination and registered a case against the robbers’ accomplices for shooting at the police and damaging police property. They said Jameel, Khateeb and Ateeq were wanted in dozens of burglary cases in the Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Jhang and Faisalabad police precincts.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2015.