KARACHI, Feb 9: An elderly woman was on Thursday killed in crossfire between security guards and armed men said to be associated with a land mafia in a Gadap village, police said.

A security guard and a passer-by were wounded in the exchange of fire as the armed men attempted to occupy the plot, situated in Noor Mohammad Goth, said an official at the Sohrab Goth police station.

He said the armed men attempted to enter the premises by opening fire on Jamshed Khan and Tikka Khan, who were deployed there to protect the plot, and an exchange of fire ensued.

The elderly woman, Sahibzadi, wife of Lal Khan, and one Mohmamad Javed were passing through the area when they suffered gunshot wounds, the official said.

While Jamshed also sustained a bullet wound, the security guards managed to repel the attackers, he added.

All the three victims were later rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where Sahibzadi died during treatment.

Sohrab Goth SHO Ghaffar Jumani said the clash took place between land mafia members and security guards who were deployed at the disputed plot.

By the time the police reached the crime-scene, the armed men had already fled, he added.

The police said that the woman hailed from Dadu and was a resident of a nearby hutment.

Heavy contingents of police were deploying in that area to prevent an untoward incident, the SHO said.

No case had been lodged with the Sohrab Goth police till Thursday evening.