HYDERABAD, Nov 5: A police head constable was gunned down when he was fired upon by two unidentified armed motorcyclists within the jurisdiction of Makki Shah police station on Monday night.

Reports said two policemen, Mohammad Usman and Mushtaq Ali, were on duty at Cantonment graveyard that connects city with Latifabad. Usman went towards the road coming from Latifabad and signalled two motorcyclists to stop. But they fired at him and headed towards Hill Top in-cline that goes towards the city centre, leaving the policeman with three bullet injuries.

SHO Makki Shah police station Tariq Qureshi said he was himself present at the corner of the graveyard for snap checking that has been increased following recent killings in the city. He said he had heard gunshots.

Usman was shifted to hospital but could not survive.

SP City Amjad Sheikh told reporters that the incident could be attributed to recent terrorist activities in the city. He said these incidents were aimed at disturbing peace of the city, especially ahead of Muharram, but police officials would sacrifice their lives and ensure peace in the holy month.

Since Saturday night, six persons, including a former taluka nazim city of the MQM, two members of the Bohra community and three people belonging to a non-political organisation of Barelvi school of thought have been gunned down in the city.