GUJRAT, June 9: Three highwaymen were killed on Wednesday night in an encounter with the police on GT Road near Thapla. The Kharian DSP told reporters on Thursday that someone had informed the Rescue 15 that some gangsters had been looting passengers of vehicles near Thapla. The DSP said that he along with a heavy police contingent reached the spot and asked the dacoits to surrender. But they opened fire on police which was returned. The crossfire that continued for about half an hour left three highwaymen dead while their five accomplices managed to escape in the darkness.

Police recovered a Kalashnikov, two 30-bore pistols, some ID cards, 22 wristwatches and three cell phones from the site of the encounter. The dead were identified as Sajid Husain of Kariala village and Sabir and Adnan of Bashna village.