KARACHI: Two suspected gangsters were shot dead in an exchange of fire with police in Lyari’s Kalakot area in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.

The deceased, identified as Qari Qasim and Saddam, were reportedly associated with the Baba Ladla gang, said Kalakot SHO Ayaz Khan.

The officer said an SMG, two rockets, a launcher, a 30-bore pistol, and 300 bullets of G-3 rifle were seized from their hideout.

The SHO told Dawn that the police had received information that the gangsters linked with Noor Mohammed alias Baba Ladla gang were present with arms and ammunition at the hideout. The police also received the information that they were planning to target the house of their rival gang leader, Uzair Baloch, in the Nawalane mill area.

As the contingents of police reached the spot to conduct a raid, the suspects opened fire on them. In the ensuing exchange of fire, two suspects were killed while four to five others managed to escape while taking advantage of darkness and narrow streets.The bodies were shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi for a post-mortem examination, the police said.