Three people were killed in a clash with police in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Saturday morning, the city's police said in a statement.
"The police stopped three people on two motorbikes during routine patrolling across the city, but rather than stopping they opened fire at the police," the statement read.
All three suspects were killed in retaliatory fire by the police, who later seized their weapons and motorbikes, according to the statement.
The killed street criminals were later identified, and an investigation about them is underway, the police statement said.
The local law enforcement agency has intensified operations against street criminals, following an increase in incidents of snatching and robberies in the city.
On Saturday morning, police launched operations in various areas of the city and arrested five suspects, the statement added.
