KARACHI, Jan 31: Three policemen were wounded when armed motorcyclists shot at them in Model Colony on Tuesday. Model Colony police said that four policemen on two motorcycles were patrolling the area when they saw three suspicious men roaming around on a motorcycle.

As police intercepted them, the armed men opened fire wounding three police constables while one PC Asghar Ali Shah, 31, remained unhurt. They snatched an official rifle and fled as police returned the fire. Police claimed that one of the suspects had received bullet injury.

Later, the three wounded police constables Tariq Mehmood, 35, Noor Muhammad, 40, and Naeem Ahmed, 35, were rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Tariq and Noor, however, were shifted to Liaquat National Hospital. Police said that Tariq, who had suffered bullet wound in the chest, was operated upon at the private hospital.

However, Noor Muhammad with head injury was not operated upon till filing of this report. Hospital sources described his condition serious.

DIG Operations Mushtaq Shah said that the circumstances did not indicate that it was a pre-planned attack. The police officials had intercepted three men on a motorcycle who were criminals.

The incident occurred on the first day of Muharram when the security has been stepped up.