Five suspects were shot dead in a shootout between police and alleged robbers in Karachi's Defence Housing Authority (DHA) neighbourhood early on Friday morning, according to officials.

Gizri Station House Officer (SHO) Agha Mashooq said the suspects had entered a bungalow near Yasrab Imambargah in DHA Phase 4 with the intention of committing burglary. Upon receiving information, police surrounded the house, he said.

However, the suspects entered another house and resorted to firing in an effort to flee, the SHO said, adding that the suspects were killed during an exchange of fire.

He claimed that the deceased belonged to an "inter-provincial gang of house robbers" as they were involved in burgling houses in Sindh and Punjab.

Meanwhile, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Executive Director Dr Seemin Jamali said all five individuals were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Three of the deceased were identified as 44-year-old Ghulam Mohammad, 65-year-old Riaz and 36-year-old Abid. The remaining two suspects, who are believed to be in their 30s, have not yet been identified.