KARACHI, Dec 19: Two suspects were killed in what police described as a shoot-out with them during a siege and search operation following the Tuesday gun attacks on polio worker s in the city.

During the operation in Sohrab Goth police rounded up 25 suspects, seized arms and ammunition, snatched or stolen motorcycles and a car in the area.

About 300 policemen, including those from the Rapid Response Force, accompanied by two armoured personnel carriers took part in the operation launched at Asma Apartments, behind Al-Asif Square.

The police claimed they were shot at when they had laid a siege to the apartment building.

Meanwhile, around six suspects escaped the building into the adjacent shanty localities. However, the police followed them into Qayyumabad, Sona Gali and Junejo Colony. When the police entered the lanes of Malik Agha Hotel and Decent Plaza, they faced resistance. During the ensuing shootout, two suspects were wounded. The police seized a repeater and .30-bore pistol from the two wounded suspects.

The wounded died before they could be taken to hospital, according to the police.

One of the suspects was identified as Abdul Sattar, an Afghan national wanted in several murder cases. The other man was Agha, said DIG-East Shahid Hayat.

The two suspects were associated with the Taliban, the DIG said.

Although some junior police officer present at the scene told the media that a letter was found in the possession of Sattar in which he had been directed by his ‘Amir’ to disrupt the polio campaign, the DIG said he had not seen such a letter, adding that the SP concerned had informed him about a letter found on one of the suspects.

“The detained suspects will be questioned and if found innocent, they will be released,” said the area DSP.

The police said Wednesday’s operation was conducted on information obtained from some suspects picked up during the Gulshan-i-Buner operation on Tuesday.