TOBA TEK SINGH, Aug 30: A proclaimed offender was killed on Tuesday in a police ‘encounter’ in the second biggest government forest of the province near Ravi, Kamalia tehsil.

DPO Akhtar Laleka claimed during a press conference on Tuesday that during the last two months, about six encounters took place near the forest, but the gangsters managed to escape.

On Tuesday morning, he said, gangsters Zafar, Taqi Shah, Aftab and Khizr were passing along a road near the forest. On seeing the police, they opened fire. During the two-hour exchange of fire, the police entered the forest and recovered the dead body of Zafar. However, his other accomplices managed to escape.

The DPO hoped that they would be arrested soon.

Mr Laleka claimed that five members of this gang had already been killed in encounters while nine had been arrested.

There were 28 dacoity, murder and robbery cases against Zafar in Jhang, Sahiwal, Khanewal and Toba Tek Singh districts, he said.