QUETTA: At least two police officers were killed and five others including cashier of a bank was killed in an attack on van carrying cash in Awaran district, Quetta on Wednesday.

Police sources said that a van carrying salary cash for government employees escorted by police personnel was on way when unknown armed men opened fire on the vehicle, leaving two police officers dead and five other including a cashier of a bank and four policemen injured.

Unknown gunmen targeted the cash van when, after taking cash from a bank in Othal, the district headquarters of Lasbela district, it was on way and reached in Bareet area of Awaran district, a senior police officer Noor Ahmed said adding that the cash was to be paid as salaries to the government employees ahead of Eid.

The police personnel and the cashier of the bank received serious bullet wounds, he added.

The police and rescue teams rushed to the site and took the injured to hospital. A police inspector and a sub-inspector succumbed to their injuries on way to hospital after high bleeding as they had received multiple bullet wounds, police said.

According to doctors, condition of some injured was serious. Police further said that cash over Rs 2.8 million remained safe and the assailants could not succeed to take it away.

The police have launched search operation to track down the attackers. A case has been registered against unknown suspects and further probe was in process.