KHAIRPUR, Dec 5: An SHO and a villager were killed in an exchange of fire between police and villagers in Mehar Shar village near Pir Fazil Shah in Sukkur in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Reports said that the villagers opened fire on police mistaking them for their rivals. An exchange of fire ensued in which SHO of Bagarji police station, Mumtaz Ali Buriro, and a villager Mehar Shar were killed.

Police said they had raided the village at about 5am to arrest suspects allegedly involved in the murder of a Hindu trader Gyanchand, who was killed near Sukkur airport four days ago.

The villagers fled leaving behind only women and children after they came to know about what had they done. Police took bodies of SHO and villager to the police station.

RPO of Sukkur along with a heavy contingent of police reached the village after getting news about the SHO’s killing and arrested ten villagers after surrounding the village.

Police later claimed that the deceased villager was absconder and wanted to police in different cases of encounter, murder and robbery.