SIALKOT, May 24: Six proclaimed offenders and a girl were killed late Thursday night in a six-hour long encounter in neighbouring Wandaal village, Kotli Loharan.

SSP Muhammad Tahir told newsmen on Friday that six armed bandits had snatched a donkey cart from Amanat Ali and two motorcycles from Muhammad Akbar and Tariq Abbas from Chiti Shaikhan village.

He said on a tip off, SHOs of Uggoki and Kotli Loharan with heavy police contingents had begun chasing the POs and exchanged firing in different areas. Finding no way to escape, the culprits became jittery and barged into the house of Muhammad Ilyas in Wandaal village and held the family hostage. In the meantime, police also reached there and besieged the house. Getting wind of the police arrival, the bandits opened fire on them with the automatic weapons.

In the meantime, DSPs Saddar, CIA, City and Elite force with more police contingents reached the spot and ordered the criminals to lay down their arms. But, they opened fire on them which was returned. Police later fired teargas shells at the house to draw out the culprits and the hostage, but the house caught fire which engulfed four other houses.

Falling into a rage, the bandits shot dead girl Misbah. Later, police shot dead all the six POs in the shootout. The fire fighters were called out which doused the blaze of five houses.

The dead culprits were identified as POs Ali Hussain alias Alia, Iftikhar alias Khara, Shehzad alias Shada, Irfan alias Fani, Shabbir and Shehzad alias Kalu.

The SSP said the killed POs were wanted by the Gujranwala Range police in more than two dozen cases of dacoity, kidnap for ransom, theft, robbery and other crimes of heinous nature.

Police also recovered four Kalashnikovs, two rifles and as many pistols lying besides the deceased POs.