KARACHI, April 11: The police shot two men to death in Surjani Town on early Thursday morning in what they claimed an encounter with bandits.

The police said that a water tanker driver, Zahoor Ahmed, informed the Surjani Town police that he had been intercepted by armed men when passing through the Afghan Camp, but he somehow escaped.

The police rushed to the spot and spotted the alleged bandits. When the alleged bandits saw the police, they opened fire on them. The police returned the fire resulting in the death of two bandits. The police also recovered two Kalashnikovs from the dead bandits, the police said.

The bodies of the two unidentified bandits were sent to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for post-mortem.

CARJACKING: Twenty-one vehicles — 11 cars and 10 motorcycles — were either hijacked or stolen in the city on Thursday, the police said.

Seven cars were hijacked. Four others were stolen in Gulshan, Jamshed, and Saddar Towns.

Four motorcycles hijacked. Six others were stolen.

ROBBERIES: Two robberies were committed in the city on Thursday, the police said.

Bandits barged into the house of a businessman in Sachal police limits and got away with cash, gold jewellery and other valuables.

Robbers intercepted Hanif and hijacked his motorcycle at gunpoint.

ACCIDENT: Two labourers died when a crane fell on them after breaking loose from a ship at Karachi Port on Thursday morning.

The police said that labourers Haji Mohammed Hanif, aged 36, and Jindal Khan, aged 35, were present on board the ship, MV Gillian, when the ship’s crane No 2 broke loose and fell on them. The police said that the crane fell from a height of 20-25 feet.

The bodies were sent to Civil Hospital for post-mortem.

The police said that Haji Hanif, resident of Kharadar, was a permanent employee of the Docks Labour Board, and Jindal was a daily-wage worker.

ARRESTED: The police arrested two bandits and recovered a pistol and a dagger along with valuables from their possession in Defence Housing Authority on Thursday.

The police said that two unidentified armed men barged into the apartment of Sarah Naqvi, principal of St Peter School near Dalton Supermarket. They held the family hostage at gunpoint, collected valuables, including cash, jewellery, a mobile phone, and escaped.

The family informed the police on “15.” A police party reached the spot and arrested the two bandits.

The police recovered all the valuables, including Rs12,000 and the mobile phone, from their possession.