FAISALABAD, Feb 21: Three dacoits were killed in a ‘shootout’ with police in Sattiana on Thursday as they fled after looting cash and gold worth Rs11 million from a bank.

Police claimed six dacoits barged in a National Bank branch in Chak 172-GB, Chajwal, and decamped with Rs950,000 and gold worth Rs10 million. They also injured bank guards Mohammad Rashid and Mohammad Hayyat for resisting the dacoity.

A police team chased the dacoits who took shelter near Chak 35-GB and opened fire at police. The head of the police team called more police personnel from various parts of the district before retaliating to dacoits’ fire. Finally, the police killed three dacoits and arrested two others in the encounter that continued for nearly two and a half hours. However, one of the dacoits fled.

Police constable Javed Anwar was also injured in the shootout. He was admitted to Allied Hospital where his condition was said to be critical.

The dead dacoits were later identified as Akram, Tassaduq and Zaheer of Sahiwal and those arrested as Mubarak Ali and Shehadat Ali. However, Mumtaz fled.

Talking to Dawn, Saddar Police Superintendent Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmed said police had seized the booty, weapons and a motorcycle from the dacoits. He said Mubarak had confessed to planning the bank dacoity.

GUNNED DOWN: A man was gunned down and his wife injured by dacoits in Jaranwala on Thursday.

Ilyas Ahmed was on his way to home along with his wife when dacoits stopped him near Chak 62-GB. They shot him dead when he tried to resist and also injured his wife.

The dacoits fled, while Ahmed’s wife was taken to a hospital in a critical condition.