QUETTA, May 28 A station house officer and three other policemen were gunned down here on Friday.

According to sources, SHO Abdul Khaliq was going to the Satellite Town police station when men hiding near a railway crossing opened fire at his official vehicle.

Mr Khaliq, his security guards Najeebullah and Nazir Ahmed and driver Mohammad Akbar were killed. The attackers took away weapons of the deceased policemen and escaped. The bodies were taken to the Civil Hospital.

A man claiming to be a spokesman of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani condemned the killing of policemen and ordered the home department to submit a report about them. He asked the authorities to try to arrest the elements involved.