RAWALPINDI, May 17: Two teenage sisters were allegedly gang raped by five men in their house in Gulzar-i-Quaid on Monday, police said.

The investigating officer (IO) told Dawn that the sisters, aged 15 and 17, have identified two of the rapists. “They had no link or relation with the girls. They were gangsters and will be captured soon.” The IO said two of the culprits nominated in the FIR are students.

At the time of horrific incident, police said the two sisters were alone at home.

Mohammad Haris, a university student and married with the elder sister of the victims, told the Airport police that he had been staying at the house of his in-laws for the last few months. He said his wife and the mother-in-law went to Pindi Bhattian to offer condolence at one of their relatives' house, adding that he was in Dhoke Kashmirian at the time of the incident. “Around 2.30am I returned home and saw two persons coming out the apartments' building.”

Inside the apartment, he found his sisters-in-law sobbing. Quoting the sisters, he said their ordeal continued for hours, adding that they were severely beaten by the five men. He said one of them introduced himself as policeman.

Police sent the victims for medical examination after registering a case and launching a hunt for the accused. According to police statistics, 13 cases of rape and gang rape had been reported from January to April this year, and 24 accused had been nominated by the victims. Of them, the police have arrested only nine so far.

“It's a very disturbing incident. We have launched a big hunt to catch the culprits,” the IO said.