ATTOCK, Jan 10: A three-member gang of proclaimed offenders was eliminated by the anti-dacoit squad of the elite force after a gunbattle at Nawa village in the Kala Chitta mountainous area on Wednesday.

The police said the gang leader Ajmal Khan, a resident of Bata village; Saleem Musali, a resident of Batioot village and Hassan Akhtar of Boota village were involved in a number of crimes including murder, robbery and kidnapping for ransom in the Kala Chitta area.

When the bodies of the alleged culprits were brought to the district police headquarters, a large number of people from the affected villages turned up there and chanted slogans in favour of the police and garlanded the elite force personnel.

District Police Officer Malik Zafar Iqbal told a press conference that the most wanted PO, Ajmal Khan had set up the gang at Kala Chitta after the killing of a notorious robbers couple - Mohammad Amir alias Meera and Shazia alias Phulan Devi.

He recalled that Meera’s gang was also eliminated in a similar operation at Kala Chitta area on June 5, 2004.

Since then, Ajmal Khan’s gang had been active in criminal activities, particularly kidnapping for ransom.

The gang was also involved in kidnapping of a local lawyer, Chaudhry Akhter who was later released after payment of ransom.

He said the bandits had also kidnapped Sher Afzal, a resident of Akhori for ransom but during an operation the kidnappers fled from their hideout leaving the victim behind.

Besides, the gang was involved in firewood thefts in the Kala Chitta forestry.

The DPO said he had received information that the gang would visit Nawa village any time between Tuesday and Wednesday night for robbery.

Therefore, the elite force with the assistance of a police contingent was deputed under his supervision at the marked area of Kala Chitta on Tuesday night.

He said the three culprits appeared in the area at 10.30am on Wednesday. The bandits were asked to surrender but they opened indiscriminate fire on the police.

In response, the police also opened fire, killing all of the gang members on the spot, he said, adding that none of the police officials was injured.

Three Kalashnikovs, three telescopes, three cellphones, a number of magazines, bullets, draggers and notebooks were recovered from their possession, the official said.

The bodies were later sent to the district headquarters hospital for postmortem, he said.