PESHAWAR, May 30: Police claimed to have killed four robbers in an encounter when they were looting a family in Umeedabad-II, Bara Gate early on Monday morning.

Addressing a press conference at Peshtakhara police station, SP Shafiullah Khan said that two of the killed robbers were identified as Hazratullah, a resident of Arbab Road, and Alamzeb of Speena Wrahai.

“The remaining two could not be identified. Their bodies were shifted to local mortuary for identification,” he added. He said that a caller informed police at 8:30am by telephone that a group of robbers had barged into a house and held the family hostage at gunpoint.

Police reached the area within minutes and asked the robbers to surrender but they opened firing on the raiding party, he said.

“All the four robbers were killed by police in retaliation,” he added.

The complainant, Perveen Sultan, told police said that someone knocked at their door and requested for ice. As she opened the door, four persons entered the house and held her family hostage at gunpoint, she added.

“They looted jewellery and cash. In the meantime our neighbours informed police,” she said. After the encounter, the residents of Bara Gate reached the police station in a procession and chanted slogans in favour of police. They also garlanded SP Shafiullah and lauded him for quick action against robbers.

Besides four pistols and cartridges, police recovered all the looted items from the dead robbers on the spot. A case against the accused was registered at Peshtakhara police station. Officials said that the killed robbers were wanted by police in several cases of burglary.

Police also claimed to have arrested 17 gamblers from Swati Phattak and recovered Rs2,5810 stake money from them.