KARACHI: Two suspected robbers were shot dead and a policeman wounded in an encounter in North Karachi on Saturday morning, poilce and rescue services officials said.

A woman accomplice of the killed suspects was also arrested by the police.

Central SSP Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi said the encounter took place in Sector G-23, after which two suspects, identified as Shaukat Nawaz, 35, and Zafar Hameed, 30, were gunned down.

A police constable, Haider Ali, 45, was wounded in the exchange of firing. A woman accomplice of the suspects, Rukhsana Imtiaz, was also arrested. However, their fourth accomplice managed to escape from the spot.

DIG says the killed criminals had gunned down a police constable and snatched his SMG earlier this month

The police claimed to have recovered three TT pistols, four cell phones, a purse, two motorcycles and other valuables from their custody.

The bodies and wounded policeman were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

DIG-West Irfan Ali Baloch while speaking at a press conference said that the killed suspects were involved in the recent killing of police constable Mohammed Yousuf at Water Pump Flyover on July 19. They had also snatched his official SMG (sub-machine gun) with 30 rounds.

The killed suspects originally hailed from Muzffargarh and also had criminal record in Punjab, said the DIG.

He added that the female accomplice told during the interrogation that she had been involved in robberies with the killed suspects who used to take her along in order to avoid arrest.

She said she was on a motorcycle with killed suspect Zafar when constable Yousuf was shot dead on July 19. The other killed suspect Shaukat along with one Sanwal was traveling on another bike.

Shaukat and Sanwal killed constable Yousuf with the intention of snatching his weapon, she added.

And after killing the policeman, they stopped their bike at Sohrab Goth where she along with Zafar also arrived. She sat with Shaukat and Sanwal on their bike while Zafar was riding the bike alone. She said Sanwal had hidden the snatched weapon inside his kameez.

The police said efforts were underway to arrest the remaining suspect.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2024