SHIKARPUR: A policeman was shot dead by two armed men in an attack and counterattack that took place at Abidal Shaakh (water channel), some 30 kilometres from here, within the limits of the Humayun police station, on Thursday morning.

According to the police version of the incident, two policemen riding a motorcycle signalled the two suspects, also riding a motorcycle, to stop during their routine patrolling duty. The suspects, however, took out their weapons and fired on the policemen, killing one of them, Imam Ali, son of Pathan Khan Jatoi. The other policeman retaliated killing one of the attackers, later identified as Ali Sher, son of Shahnawaz aka Shanoo Marfani, a resident of Pathan Wah (water channel), situated near Jagan town. The police said that his companion also sustained bullet wounds but managed to escape.

According to Shikarpur SSP Zeeshan Siddique and Humayun SHO Noor Mohammed Jakhro, who visited the scene of the shoot-out, Ali Sher was a notorious dacoit wanted by police in a number of cases of murder, dacoity and other heinous crimes. He was also a proclaimed offender, the SHO claimed.

The police established the deceased suspect`s identity after a post-mortem examination of the body at the Shikarpur Civil Hospital and later handed it over to the heirs.