KARACHI, Jan 18: Two police officials and two suspected members of a gang of robbers were killed in what police claimed to be an encounter here on Tuesday night.

According to reports, a police party raided a house in the Punjab Colony following a tip-off about the presence of Rehman Dacait of Lyari.

City police chief Tariq Jamil said that a police party raided a house in Chandio Goth in Frere police limits following an information that Sharif alias Keechu, said to be a close associate of Rehman Dacait, was hiding there.

As the police team reached the specified house it came under attack, he claimed. The police returned fire, which ensued a gun battle resulting in deaths of two policemen, identified as sub-inspector Asif Awan, 35, and constable Zafar Maroof, 32. Mr Jamil said that Shakeel Chandio, 35, and Fareed Chandio, 28, who were brothers, were killed in the crossfire.

Keechu had come to chandios' home, and after sensing danger, opened fire on the police party from inside the house, Mr jamil maintained. An inspector, Khuda Bux, 35, and a passerby, Akhtar Ali, 50, received bullet wounds and were shifted to the JPMC, he added.

He said that Keechu was wanted in 28 criminal cases, and the police believed that he was also involved in killing of a Baloch social worker, Anwar Bhaijan. "We have come to know that Keechu received bullet wounds, but managed to escape with injuries," the city police chief maintained. However, the medico-legal sources said that Fareed Chandio received five bullets on his back, which showed he was on the run.

The family members and neighbours of the two deceased brothers, who had gathered at the JPMC, disputing the police version of the incident, said that Chandios were respected residents of the locality, and the raiding police team clad in civvies, opened fire without issuing any warning as it reached the LEO car wash owned by Chandios, adjacent to their house.

They said that the Chandios, taking the police party for robbers, returned fire. The family members said that Shakil Chandio was an officer in a bank and had been a Karate champion. His brother Fareed Chandio got married a year back and remained at the car-wash shop.

Meanwhile, a close associate of Arshad Pappu was killed, and his accomplice wounded when unknown persons sprayed them with bullets in Lyari on Tuesday night. Police said that 23-year-old Shahzad alias Nomi was sitting at a street corner near Mera Naka area along with his friend, when unknown persons pulled up on a motorcycle and sprayed them with bullets.