TAXILA: Two suspects — one wanted in an abduction case and the other in drug peddling — were arrested following alleged gunfights with police in two different areas within the jurisdiction of Injra and Saddar police stations in Attock district, a police spokesman revealed on Thursday.

No police officials were injured during either of the shootouts, he said. The police spokesperson claimed that both suspects in the separate incidents were injured by their own accomplices during the exchange of fire.

The police spokesman said that one suspect, identified as Shahzada Khurrum — a native of Aurangabad — had allegedly abducted a three-year-old girl on March 30.

Although the girl was later recovered by Injra police, the suspect managed to escape at the time.

The spokesman added that, acting on a tip-off that the suspect was present with his companion in the Peera Kacha jungle, a police party conducted a raid to arrest him.

However, the suspect opened fire on the police, who retaliated.

When the firing stopped, the suspect was found injured.

In his statement to police, he claimed that he had been injured by the firing of his companion.

The injured suspect was later shifted to the tehsil headquarters hospital, Jand. A search operation was launched to arrest the fleeing accomplice.

Separately, a suspected drug peddler was found injured and arrested following a shootout with Saddar police in the Bohra Mor area.

The police spokesman said the incident occurred when a patrol team signalled a motorcycle carrying two suspects to stop at a picket set up to monitor the movement of suspicious individuals.

The suspects allegedly responded by opening fire on the police and fled into a nearby wooded area.

They were later intercepted by police reinforcements and once again, one of the suspects opened fire on the police.

“The police returned fire, and when the exchange ended, one suspect — identified as Iftikhar alias Khara, a native of Mirza village — was found injured, while his companion managed to flee the scene.

Police also recovered 1.80 kilograms of hashish from his possession.

The injured suspect was shifted to the Attock District Headquarters Hospital.

Respective police stations registered two separate cases on behalf of the state. .Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2025