KARACHI, Dec 10: A suspected bandit was killed in a police encounter minutes after he along with an accomplice allegedly robbed passengers of a minibus in the SITE area on Saturday, officials said.

They said that two armed bandits boarded Safari Coach, held the passengers at gunpoint and snatched their cellphones, cash and other valuables.

“They completed the job within a few minutes and got off the moving coach,” said an official at the SITE-B police station.

“Just as the robbers got off the bus, the passengers saw a police patrol, shouted for help and narrated their ordeal.”

He said that since the bandits were on foot, the police spotted them easily near a car showroom. Sensing danger, the bandits opened fire on the police, who returned fire.

“The exchange of fire resulted in the killing of one bandit and forced his accomplice to surrender himself,” said the official. “The deceased was identified as Abdul Hameed. The arrested bandit, Muhammad Ayaz, told the police that they lived in the Lyari area.”

The police claimed to have seized two TT pistols and multiple rounds from their possession.A case (FIR 448/2011) was registered on behalf of the state under Sections 324 (attempted murder), 392 (punishment for robbery) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.