Peshawar, Pakistan - In a shocking incident, three under-custody suspected bank robbers were shot dead after unidentified armed men opened fire on a police team escorting them in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar.
The incident occurred when unknown assailants attacked an investigation team escorting the suspects during the course of interrogation and identification of crime scenes.
The deceased suspects, identified as Muhammad Shoaib, Muhammad Umar alias Wajahat and Muhammad Imad, were allegedly involved in bank robberies and the killing of a police personnel.
Police said the suspects had been taken to Allied Bank in the Pir Bala area on Warsak Road to complete legal formalities and identify the scene of a previous robbery.
During the operation, three pistols allegedly used in the bank robbery were recovered from a nearby location after being identified by the suspects.
A police team was later transporting the suspects to another alleged planning site when unidentified motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fire near Northern Bypass in an apparent attempt to free their accomplices.
The station house officer and another policeman survived after bullets struck their bulletproof jackets and helmets, while the official police vehicle sustained damage in the attack.
Police said the three under-custody suspects were fatally hit during the exchange of fire, while the attackers managed to flee the scene.
A search operation has been launched across the Warsak Division to arrest the fleeing attackers, while security and snap-checking at entry and exit points have been intensified.
