MULTAN, Jan 11: Two unidentified assailants were killed and a police constable was injured in an exchange of fire which followed an attempt by a gang to deprive the policeman of his rifle near T Chowk in New Multan police precinct on Friday.

Regional Police Officer Mirza Muhammad Ali told this correspondent that Muhammad Arshad, a police constable of Seetal Mari, was going to his duty by a motorbike along with his friend when some armed men stopped him and tried to snatch his rifle.

The pillion rider contacted a patrol team of Mohafiz Force which reached the spot and encountered firing by the assailants. In a shootout that followed, two of the criminals were killed and the constable was injured.

The police took into custody two motorbikes and weapons from the assailants who, according to the RPO, were terrorists.