GUJRANWALA, Feb 9: Three police officers, three outlaws and a bank officer were killed and two others injured in an encounter with dacoits in Eminabad on Tuesday night.

According to reports reaching here, some youths of Eminabad Mor locality, including National Bank assistant manager Ayaz Ahmad Khan, were at 'thekari pehra' when four outlaws tried to break open a shop of grain market.

The youths foiled their attempt by reportedly overpowering one of them. His accomplices opened fire at the bank officer, killing him on the spot.

In the meantime, citizens gathered there and chased the outlaws, who entered a house they were living on rent. A heavy contingent of Elite Force and police from a number of stations reached the spot, surrounded the house and ordered them to surrender. But the outlaws started firing at the police who returned the fire. As a result, three police constables - Mohammad Shahid, Khalil Ahmad and Anser Iqbal - and three outlaws - cousins Riasat Ali and Liaquat Ali and their unidentified accomplice - were killed.

ASI Obaid Ali and constable Imtiaz Ahmad, who sustained injuries, were rushed to the local DHQ hospital in a critical condition.

During the exchange of fire, the house reportedly caught fire due to short circuit or the exchange of fire, and the body of an outlaw recovered from the house had been burnt.

On receiving information, DPO Dr Arif Mushtaq and other senior officers reached the spot and collected information about the encounter. The DPO ordered the police to conduct raid and arrest the remaining accused.

The police seized a Kalashnikov and other arms. It was pointed out that the dacoits had taken the house on rent from a bank officer some eight months ago. However, the police took the family members of the dacoits into custody for investigation. Another outlaw, Mudassar, was also arrested in a raid from the same locality, the police said. The outlaws were wanted by the police in about a dozen of incidents of banditry and robberies.

Range police chief Chaudhry Altaf Qamar and the DPO have expressed their shock over the loss of lives of policemen in the encounter and expressed their condolences with the family members of the deceased.

They pledged that the campaign against the bandits and robbers would be continued. A case has been registered against the accused and further investigations were under way.