GUJRANWALA: A station house officer and two constables were killed and five other policemen injured in an encounter with a notorious outlaw in Pindi Bhattian tehsil of Hafizabad district on Saturday.

Police received information that proclaimed offender Sajjad Ahmad, alias Haji Samaan, who was wanted in several cases of robbery, murder and other heinous crimes, was present in Thatha Raiki village.

SHO Arif Shah, along with his staff, reached there and ordered Sajjad Ahmad and his accomplices to surrender, but they opened fire on police with automatic weapons.

Inspector Shah, Head Constable Mohammad Aslam and Elite Force Constable Rashid died, while five other constables were injured critically.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Pindi Bhattian and Hafizabad.

Later, another police party led by Jalalpur Bhattian SHO Inspector Zafar Gondel reached there, but the criminals managed to take them hostage. According to sources, the criminals later released the SHO and his colleagues and escaped.

The encounter, which began at 6am, continued for several hours.

Regional Police Officer Saad Akhter Bharwana and other senior police officers reached the village and took the bodies to Hafizabad district hospital for autopsy.