HYDERABAD, Nov 27: The Anti Car Lifting Unit (ACLU) arrested three alleged bandits and recovered a stolen vehicle and ammunition from their possession following a brief encounter at Qasimabad bypass on Tuesday.

The shootout began after a team of ACLU officials during the course of checking of vehicles at by pass signalled a speeding white coloured Suzuki hi-roof to stop. The driver of the vehicle accelerated its speed and tried to flee.

According to ACLU in-charge Mehboob Sipyo, five occupants of the car resorted to firing on the ACLU team and police also returned the fire. The ACLU men immediately called for reinforcement in the area through wireless messages.

SHO Qasimabad Abdul Qadir Samoon, who was also present in the same area, rushed to the spot and encircled the bandits. A joint operation by ACLU and Qasimabad police led to arrest of three bandits while two of them fled in the fields. The arrested persons were identified as Shaman Sheikh, Ashiq Ai, residents of Larkana and Ali Gohar Sheikh, a resident of Pir jo Goth Khairpur. A Suzuki hi-roof (CR-4372) was seized. Two of their accomplices, including Nizam Ghelo and Shareef Ghelo escaped.

Police claimed that the gangsters were involved in many cases of murders, attempted murder, kidnapping for ransom, police encounters and robberies that are lodged at different police stations of the province. They were also wanted in crime no 39/07 of Ratodero police where they had gunned down a police constable Mohammad Bhatti while as per crime No 40/07 of police encounter they killed Rasheed and Magnejo in the jurisdiction of Keti Mumtaz police station.