MULTAN - Five robbers, said to be members of an inter-provincial gang, were shot dead in a shootout with police here the other night.

According to police, the suspects had been involved in Rs10 million robbery committed in a bank here in the city on March 27. The police said that three arrested suspects were being taken for the recovery of money. However, their 12 accomplices intercepted the police vehicle and opened fire near Rangeel Pur area.

The police retaliated with fire and the crossfire continued for some time. Resultantly five robbers were killed on the spot while few others managed to escape from the scene.

The police claimed that the dead robbers belonged to Dera Murad Jamali, Dadu, Shikarpur, Sukkur and Nawabshah districts of Sindh province.

The police launched a search operation for the arrest of escaped suspects.

The dead bodies were shifted to hospital for medico-legal formalities while further investigation is underway.

The police said that the dacoits had been involved in different crimes in Southern Punjab such as bank robberies.