GUJRAT, Feb 13 A fugitive nominated in the Sariya case, in which 15 people were gunned down, was killed and an SHO injured in an encounter between outlaws and police in a major operation launched in the district.

The operation is being jointly conducted by Gujrat and AJK police against fugitives in the Bhimber area of AJK bordering Gujrat district, some 70 kilometre from here.

Acting Gujrat DPO Afzal Virk told reporters in a hurriedly called news conference at his office on Saturday that on a tip-off, a police party cordoned off Kotli Lalian village (AJK) and started a search operation.

He said during the operation, some outlaws positioned in a house opened indiscriminate fire on police, which left Dinga SHO Shahid Tanveer injured. The police retaliated and a crossfire ensued which continued for at least half an hour, he added.

When the firing by outlaws stopped, police entered the house where they found a body which was later identified as Nazim alias Nama. Nazim is accused of Sariya killings and was wanted by the AJK and Gujrat police in more then three dozen cases.

The DPO said police also found a tunnel in the house built by the outlaws, besides hundreds of rounds of bullets, hand grenades and sophisticated weapons.

He said the police believed that Nazim's accomplices fled the house through the tunnel, adding that some of them might also have been killed in the encounter and their bodies were removed by the fleeing outlaws.

Gujranwala Regional Police Officer Zulfiqar Cheema, DPO Afzal Virk, Bhimbher police SP Chaudhry Muneer and other officials also reached the scene.

The injured police officer was shifted to Bhimber District Headquarters Hospital.

Sources, meanwhile said Nazim's heirs refused to get his autopsy conducted at Bhimbher DHQ Hospital.

They said police had also arrested seven other nominated accused in Sariya firing case, including a brother of Nazim.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had given two-week deadline to the police for the arrest of the culprits responsible for Sariya killings during his visit to the bereaved families on Thursday.

COMPENSATION Cheques worth Rs0.5 million were distributed among the heirs to each victim of the Sariya firing incident on Saturday.

The cheques were distributed by Punjab prisons minister Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, PML-N MNA Malik Jamil Awan and MPA Irfanuddin on behalf of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif at Sariya village.

Raja Tahir and Khuram, who were injured in the incident, were also given a Rs100,000 each by the Punjab government.