LAHORE: Two policemen manning a picket in the provincial capital's Iqbal Town area were gunned down by three unidentified motorcyclists on Wednesday evening.

Both the slain policemen, Constables Muhammad Asif and Mubashir, were deployed from police lines to perform duty at a security check post in Chanab Pulli area, said a senior police official.

The policemen signalled three motorcyclists to stop but they opened fire at them. Both the officials suffered critical injuries and were rushed to Jinnah Hospital where the doctors pronounced them dead on arrival.

Iqbal Town Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Operations Dr Muhammad Iqbal told Dawn that police have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to nab the attackers.

He said the attackers fled towards Moon Market area after shooting the policemen.

Polio worker shot injured

In a separate incident, two unidentified men shot and injured a polio worker in the Sanda area of the provincial capital.

Omar Khan, 22, was shot in the leg after two unidentified men approached him after a disagreement.

Khan was shifted to Mayo hospital after the incident for medical attention.

A polio team in Lahore also registered a First Information Report (FIR) against an individual who refused the polio vaccinations for his children and harassed the polio staff.

The FIR was registered at the Nasirabad police station

7 suspected terrorists killed

Earlier today, at least seven suspected terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire with police officials in Sharaqpur area of Punjab.

District Officer Counter Terrorism Department Nankana received a tipoff regarding 10 to 12 suspicious men riding on six motorcycles, who were seen travelling towards Sharaqpur for an attack on law enforcement personnel just after midnight on Feb 17.

On receiving this info, the DO contacted CTD teams from the Sheikhupura region for support.

Law-enforcement personnel intercepted the men near a drain bridge in Sharaqpur and asked them to surrender.

According to the CTD sources a shootout ensued and when the firing stopped, seven men were killed by 'firing of their accomplices, who had fled the scene taking advantage of darkness'.

Evidence collected from the scene showed the men belonged to proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi outfits, according to the CTD source who added that, police also recovered 2kg of explosives, primacord, a Kalashnikov, two rifles of 244 bore, and three motorcycles from the scene.

The CTD launched a probe into the incident.

Read more: Paris-like attacks can’t be ruled out in Punjab: CTD official

The Punjab police's CTD has stepped up its activities against militant outfits in the province.

Lashkar-i-Jhangvi chief Malik Ishaq and two sons were killed during a similar police 'encounter' in Muzaffargarh district last July.