KARACHI: Four suspected robbers were shot dead by citizens in two separate incidents in Orangi Town and Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Friday, officials said.

In the Orangi Town incident, four armed robbers shot and wounded three passers-by and a shopkeeper before area people retaliated and killed two of them late in the evening.

West SSP Tariq Illahi Mastoi said that the robbers riding on two motorcycles looted some people at Qadhafi Chowk. As they were fleeing, people nearby tried to overpower them.

The robbers opened fire and the bullets hit four persons — Hassan Mukhtar Ahmed, 23, Asif Arif Khan, 20, Kashan Alamdar, 32, and Abdul Rehman, 34.

He said that some citizens returned fire and as a result, two suspects suffered critical bullet wounds. They were caught by an angry mob, which subjected them to severe beating.

However, policemen arrived at the scene and shifted the wounded suspects to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

The police said their other two accomplices managed to escape from the scene. The deceased were later identified as Shahbaz Badshah Khan and Umar Alam Khan.

The SSP said that a search operation had been initiated for the arrest of the absconding suspects and further investigation is in progress.

The police claimed to have recovered two unlicensed pistols and spent bullet casings from the crime scene.

West DIG Irfan Ali Baloch told Dawn that both the deceased had past criminal record as there were several FIRs registered against them at the Mominabad, Taimuria and Sharah-i-Noor Jehan police stations.

Earlier on Friday, two suspected robbers were gunned down by a citizen during an attempted robbery in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

Sharea Faisal SHO Imtiaz Husain Shah said three armed robbers intercepted a car driver near the Jauhar flyover and tried to loot him.

However, the citizen resisted the robbery bid, took out his weapon and resorted to firing, the SHO said, adding that as a result bullet hit two suspects while their third accomplice managed to escape from the spot.

The wounded suspects were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where doctors pronounced them dead on arrival.

The police said that their identity could not be ascertained till late in the night. Two pistols, snatched cell phones and cash were recovered from their custody.

Three men shot at, wounded in Clifton

Three persons were shot at and wounded in Clifton on Friday, police said.

The Boat Basin police said that the victims, who included two brothers, were wounded when armed pillion riders resorted to firing on them near Ziauddin hospital.

The victims were identified as Sajid Amin and his brother Dilawar Amin, and a third person, Fazl Rabi. They were shifted to Ziauddin Hospital for treatment.

South DIG Syed Asad Raza said that the firing incident occurred over a personal enmity. He said the relatives have identified the suspects and the police are investigating the incident. The crime scene unit was called to collect evidence.

Boat Basin SHO Malik Riaz said the condition of the wounded persons was stated to be critical.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar took notice of the incident and sought detailed information from South SSP.