KOHAT, June 4: Four members of a criminal gang and a policeman were killed during a 10 hours-long encounter in Landi Kachai area here on Saturday, officials said.

They said that police teams, acting on a tip-off, cordoned a den of criminals and asked them to surrender on early Saturday morning. But the gangsters opened firing on the raiding tams instead of surrendering, they added. The district police officer sent re-enforcements to the area and encounter continued for 10 hours.

“Notorious gangster Nusrat Hussain alias Baloo Mian along with three other wanted criminals were killed in the encounter,” they said, adding a policeman was also shot dead by the gangsters.

Police said that Baloo Mian and his group, which had been involved in kidnappings for ransom, extortion, murder of policemen and other unlawful activities, killed two persons in Landi Kachai area on Friday.

The killed policeman was identified as Amanullah. The three other killed members of the gang of Baloo Mian were identified as Gulfam Ali, Jehangir and Jumma Khan. — Correspondent