KARACHI: Two private security guards were killed and another was wounded in an exchange of fire with armed robbers who attempted to take away Rs30 million from a cash van in Rizvia Society on Wednesday, police said.

Guards Abdul Malik, 35, Hasnain Rizvi, 30, and Hafeez Rehman sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Malik and Rizvi were pronounced dead on arrival and Rehman was admitted for treatment, the officials added.

According to SSP Central Muqadas Haider, the driver got off the cash van in Jehangirabad complaining that there was some problem with a rear tyre. While three guards also disembarked from the van, another security guard remained seated and shut the back door. In the meantime, four armed men emerged and demanded cash. An exchange of fire ensued, forcing the suspects to flee. However, the three guards sustained wounds when the fleeing robbers opened fire on them.

The wounded guards were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where two of them were pronounced dead on arrival.

The SSP said police investigators were probing as to why the driver stopped the van there and how suddenly the armed robbers emerged there.

Published in Dawn, July 24th , 2014