GUJRAT, July 4: An ASI and a proclaimed offender were shot dead while another outlaw and two policemen injured in two encounters which took place here in the last 48 hours.

Kakrali police station ASI Zafar Iqbal and a PO were killed in an exchange of fire near Sheikhpur Saria village on Friday evening.

Reports said the police received information about the POs’ presence at a village outhouse. A team, headed by ASI Zafar Iqbal, raided the place and exchanged fire with the suspects. The ASI was shot dead within minutes while PO Ghulam Husain alias Mithu was killed when more police arrived.

The shootout was going on till last reports came in at 11pm.

Two policemen of Karrianwala police station and a PO were injured in an encounter near Malikpur Mirza locality on Thursday night.

A district police spokesman claimed that a patrolling party of the Karrianwala police station had signalled two motorcyclists to stop, but they opened fire on police. As a result, two constables Mudassar Ahmad and Amir Husain received bullet wounds.

Meanwhile, other policemen aired a message for reinforcement and started chasing the criminals. Seeing police, the outlaws abandoned their two-wheeler and took refuge in nearby fields from where they opened fire. A heavy police contingent reached there and returned the fire, injuring one of the POs.

Police claimed to have seized a kalashnikov from the injured outlaw who was identified as Manzar Husain. His cohort escaped.

The injured were admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital.