LAKKI MARWAT: Four highwaymen were killed in an exchange of fire with police in Darra Pezu town of Lakki Marwat district late Sunday night.

A police official said that a party of Shaheed Haibat Ali Khan police station was dispatched to the mountainous terrain when local authorities were informed about looting of vehicles on Bannu-DI Khan section of Indus Highway.

`The law enforcers came under attack when they reached the area and found the bandits busy in looting a goods transport vehicle,` he claimed. He said that police returned fire, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire, which lasted for some time.

The official said that the cops launched a search in the mountains when firing stopped and found the bod-ies of four bandits, who were later identified as Shah Zeb, Qayyum, Shahidur Rehman and Osama. `Police seized two AK 47 assault rifles, a repeater gun, a pistol and ammunition from the venue and shifted the bodies to a nearby hospital.

`The killed highwaymen were wanted to police in various cases including attempted murder, attack on police and robberies,` he added.

Regional police officer Bannu Sajjad Khan and DPO Lakki Nazir Khan praised policemen for launching a successful action against robbers and said that protection to people`s lives and properties would be ensured at all costs.

They reiterated that such actions against bandits and anti-state elements would continue in the future. Ghulam Mursalin Marwat