FAISALABAD, Nov 7: Police claimed on Friday killing two robbers in a ‘shootout’ in Mansoorabad.

Police said a citizen, Akbar, informed Rescue 15 that four unidentified criminals had barged in the house of Akram in Mansoorabad and had held women and children hostage at gunpoint.

A police team rushed to the scene, besieged the area and asked the dacoits to surrender. Police said the dacoits instead opened fire. When police returned the fire, two of the dacoits – identified as Akbar and Babar – died on the spot while their accomplices managed their escape.

This was the second encounter in the limits of Mansoorabad police station during the last two days. Earlier, police claimed to have killed two alleged dacoits in a shootout that took place in Nishatabad on Wednesday and arrested one of their accomplices.

Police spokesman Aamir Waheed said teams had been constituted to arrest the absconding dacoits. He said police had seized two pistols and 100 live rounds from the scene.

The regional police officer and city police officer have announced prizes for the personnel who took part in the ‘encounter’.—Staff Correspondent