LAHORE, Oct 12: Police on Tuesday killed three alleged robbers and arrested as many after an "encounter" in Manawan.

Lahore Investigation police chief Chaudhry Shafqaat said they had been proclaimed offenders and involved in dozens of house and highway robberies in the city and elsewhere in the province.

On a tip-off, he said, a cantonment police team raided a house near Suk Nehar in Mughalpura and saw six men leaving in a car and on a motorcycle. When they were signalle to stop, he claimed, the alleged robbers opened fire on the police party and tried to flee. A bullet hit a boy, Umair.

The police team returned the fire and succeeded in arresting three of them while their accomplices sped away, he added. Those arrested were idetified as Ghulam Haider Chandio, Iftikhar and Zubair.

The chase for the three continued and they were intercepted in Nat village in Manawan. They exchanged fire with police again in which they were killed, claimed the police officer.

He identified them as Rana Shafqat, alias Pappu, Waheed Ahmad, alias Nadeem Shah and Shabbir. The injured boy was admitted to the Mayo Hospital where his condition was stated to be critical. A sum of Rs10,000 was given to the boy's family for his treatment by the police chief.

Besides, a reward of Rs5,000 each to four inspectors, Rs3,000 each to two sub-inspectors and Rs1,000 each to nine constables who participated in the raid was announced by the Lahore police.