KARACHI: Five suspected robbers were gunned down in an alleged encounter in the Manghopir area in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

DIG-West Irfan Ali Baloch told Dawn that police were busy in a combing operation in Gulshan-i-Tauheed in Manghopir when some people informed them about some suspect who were roaming in the area.

He said that the police spotted five suspects riding on two motorcycles and when they tried to intercept them they opened fire. In an ensuing exchange of gunfire, all five suspects were killed, the DIG added.

The police claimed to have recovered two rifles, three pistols and two motorcycles from their possession.

In the evening, Manghopir SHO Ghulam Husain Korai told Dawn that the killed suspects were identified as Niaz Mastoi, Mehar Ali, Qalander Bux, Mohammed Khan and Saddam.

He said that they originally hailed from Shikarpur, Larkana and Qamber-Shahdadkot districts.

The area SHO said that during the combing operation in the Khairabad area, the police received information on Madadgar-15 that some robbers had forcibly entered a house to commit a robbery.

He claimed that they were ‘habitual’ criminals as there were several cases registered against them pertaining to robberies and other crimes.

The bodies were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) for medico-legal formalities.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that the deceased persons sustained bullet wounds in the face, chest and legs.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2024