PESHAWAR, Feb 28: The city police have failed to arrest the killers of three policemen who had been shot dead during an encounter with villagers of Patwariyan in Mathra locality on the city outskirt.

Villagers of Patwariyan had killed three cops of Mathra police station in retaliation after the killing of a villager, Sadary, last Saturday.

The police had sealed an FIR in the case and held a meeting with the village elders and stressed them to hand over the accused without any further bloodshed.

Sources in police informed Dawn on Friday that the police officials were killed due to lack of coordination between the police station concerned and Police Headquarters as the deceased SHO demanded more police force immediately during the encounter, which the high-ups failed to send.

They said that when ASI of Pir Bala, Hastam Khan, reached Patwariyan village, he went straight to a house during intense shooting and escaped from the area in a burqa.

Later on, Hastam Khan lodged a report with the police station nominating 13 persons in the killing of three police officials.

Police claimed that SHO Inspector Hussainzada, Mathra police station DFC Malik Taj and constable Shad Mohammad were killed when they went there to arrest the alleged outlaws.

The police immediately called police force from other police stations, which in retaliation opened fire and killed an alleged outlaw, Sadary, son of Gul Khan, and injured his accomplice, Hazrat Khan, son of Awal Khan.

But the villagers rejected the police claim and said the police party opened fire indiscriminately on the innocent villagers.

They said that all the police officials were beaten to death as they killed innocent Sadary and injured Hazrat Khan and no shot was fired by the villagers.

Chief of the City Police DIG Tanveer-ul-Haq Sipra said that the deceased Sadary was involved in unlawful activities and he was a proclaimed offender in a case registered with East Cantt police station.