June 09, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 23, 1428

HAFIZABAD, June 8: Four dacoits who held two women and a minor girl as a shield were killed in a crossfire with police. Two constables also died in the shootout while the hostages sustained critical injuries

Reports said that four dacoits looted two houses in the Government Housing Colony near the DPO office. As the intruders came out of Haji Nawaz Mughal’s house, they found a vehicle of the Elite Force patrolling there. In panic, they hurriedly boarded their car which raised suspicion and the police started chasing them.

Finding the police on close quarters, the fleeing dacoits left the car at Jinnah Chowk and entered the house of Dr Malik Amir Awan and held hostage the women inmates.

In the meanwhile, the

police besieged the house and also called out the reinforcement.

Later, in the ensuing crossfire, which lasted for some half an hour, two constables Walayat Hussain and Malik Ramzan sustained serious injuries. They were rushed to hospital where they died.

After some time the bandits, taking shield of the two women and the minor girl, tried to escape by a car parked in the porch. But law enforcers targeted the car with indiscriminate fire, leaving four dacoits dead instantly and injuring seriously the women.

Sehrish and Saadia were shifted to a hospital in Lahore because of their critical condition while the minor girl was admitted to the local DHQ hospital. Two of the dead bandits were identified as Mehmood Pervaiz of Nankana Sahib and Saleem Nazir of Karachi.

Police also recovered a Kalashnikov, four pistols, six cell phones, Rs18,000 in cash and jewellery.

A case has been registered.