KARACHI: Three suspected militants were killed in a shootout with the police in Sohrab Goth area of the city late on Thursday night, officials said.

They said the area police baclced by police commandos, taking action on intelligence reports aboutthe presence of some militants and criminal elements, conducted a raid in Sohrab Goth near the under-construction Bara Market. The raid turned into an exchange of fire.

`The police cordoned off the area,` said SSP Malir Rao Anwar. `The armed men in the hideout attacked personnel ofour team when they were taking positions. The attack led to retaliation from police which triggered the exchange of gunfire. After an encounter, three militants were killed and two of them were later identified as Iqbal Swati and Shah Muhammad who were associated with the banned Tehreeki-Taliban Pakistan.

He said that the suspects had long been using the under-construction building as their hideout for night stay and as weapons dump. They were wanted in several cases of kidnapping for ransom and targeted killings, he added.-Staff Reporter