21 August 2004	Saturday	04 Rajab 1425

LAHORE, Aug 20: Two alleged smugglers were killed in what Pakistan Rangers claimed to be an encounter in Batapur on Friday.

The Rangers officials said they had set up a picket in Dhiloon village. Five suspects were spotted by them while crossing into Pakistan from the other side of the border.

They claimed that the suspects opened fire on them in a bid to escape. They returned the fire and in the crossfire two of them suffered bullet injuries while the remaining three managed to escape.

They said they found the two men dead when they reached near them. They were identified as Imran and Aslam, residents of border village Basin. Eighty liquor bottles and weapons were recovered from the scene, they said.

Meanwhile, a man was beaten to death by a neighbour in the same locality. Police said Ghulam Ali, 55, passed through the fields of Asim Ali. They exchanged harsh words over it. Asim took him to his dera where he thrashed him with the help of an accomplice.

Ghulam Ali sustained critical injuries and died on way to hospital. Another man was shot dead by drug runners in Chowk Nonarian. Quoting family, police said Nadeem Ahmad, 30, used to restrain Ilyas from selling drugs in the area.

They exchanged harsh words on Friday and Ilyas allegedly shot at Nadeem and fled from the scene. He succumbed to his injuries in hospital soon after arrival. The bodies were sent to the city mortuary.