KARACHI: Two bandits were lynched by a mob in Korangi late on Saturday.

Police said two youngsters on a motorbike pulled up outside a real estate office. One of them entered the office and snatched cash, mobile phones and other valuables from the people sitting inside.

People in neighbouring shops witnessed the incident. Some of them acted immediately, caught the bandits and gave them a thrashing.

“Sector 34-A in Korangi-5 is quite a busy spot where the real estate office is located,” said an official at the Korangi police station.

“After witnessing the incident, a group of youngsters challenged the bandits and overpowered them when they tried to flee. More people joined in and they beat the bandits up. In the process the two fell unconscious.”

The police reached the scene and took the bandits to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where they were pronounced dead. “We seized pistols and a motorcycle from the unidentified robbers,” said the official.

In another incident, four suspected militants were killed in an ‘encounter’ with police in the Manghopir area.

Officials said the anti-extremism cell of the Sindh police’s crime investigation department raided a hideout.

“The armed men there attacked our team when they were taking positions,” said chief of the AEC Ali Raza.

“The shootout left the four militants dead. We have re­cove­red two AK-47 rifles, two TT pistols and hand-grenades from the scene.”

Mr Raza said the slain ‘militants’ could not be identified, but police had ‘reason’ to believe that they belonged to the Khan Zaman Mehsud group of the banned TTP.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2015

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