ABBOTTABAD: Robbers looted a bank after holding the staff at gunpoint in broad daylight in Abbottabad city on Friday.

Eyewitnesses said that four armed men after overpowering the two guards, held the bank staff and customers at gunpoint, collected at least Rs700,000 and mobile phones from the people and escaped.

According to police and bank officials, the dacoits entered the bank at around 12pm, making the staff and customers hostage and collecting cash and mobile phones from them. Later, they locked the bank’s glass door with a motorcycle lock and escaped.

Bank officials said during a scuffle with the dacoits, the two guards sustained minor injuries and were taken to district headquarters hospital for treatment.

District police officer Mohammad Ali Gandapur, who reached the spot soon after the incident, told mediapersons that they were yet to know about the exact stolen amount. He disclosed that police had obtained CCTV footage from the bank, which will provide leads to track down the culprits.

Police said that the registration number of the car used in the crime had been traced. They registered case into the incident and began investigation.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014