Two alleged robbers with long criminal records were killed in an exchange of fire with the Crime Control Department (CCD) near Jorewala Bridge on Sunday morning.
According to police, around 5:30am six armed men had set up a blockade at the bridge and were looting passers-by when Inspector Hassan Sadiq Cheema, in charge of CCD Lyallpur Town and his team returned from an operation and were fired upon.
Police retaliated, forcing the suspects to take cover in nearby fields. The shootout continued for nearly 30 minutes.
During the exchange, two robbers – identified as Mohsin, son of Suleman, a resident of Chak 243-RB Jhok Khurlan, with over 50 cases of robbery and dacoity, and his accomplice Zeeshan alias Shani, son of Khalid, with more than 30 criminal cases – were critically injured.
Both were shifted to Allied Hospital, where they later died. Police said the men were wanted in more than 60 cases, including armed robbery, house break-ins, motorcycle snatching, and firing at citizens during resistance.
Authorities recovered two stolen motorcycles and weapons from their possession.
The bodies were shifted to the mortuary for post-mortem.
Police added that four accomplices managed to escape under cover of darkness. According to official data, the CCD, established in Faisalabad in April and operational since May 2025, has killed 35 hardened criminals and injured 10 others in various encounters over the past five months.
Many of the slain suspects were involved in heinous crimes including rape, murder, dacoity, car snatching, contract killings, and armed robberies.
Breakdowns show that 13 robbers were killed in operations with CCD Lyallpur Town, 12 with Madina Town CCD, one with CCD Headquarters, one killed and two injured with CCD Iqbal Town, two killed and two injured with CCD Makuwana, one killed with CCD Sadar Division, one with CCD Jaranwala, and three killed during joint operations near Airport police station. Several suspects were also injured in encounters with Anti-Car Lifting and motorcycle squads.
Despite limited manpower, CCD teams under SSP Dost Muhammad and DSP Malik Tariq Singha have continued operations day and night across the district.
