Two suspects linked to the recent killing of police officers in Lahore were shot dead during a firefight with law enforcement in Muridke early Tuesday morning.
The suspects—identified by investigators as prime figures in the recent violence—were intercepted by a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) team acting on a tip-off. When officers signaled the suspects to stop near a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city, the men opened fire, triggering a gun battle that lasted nearly twenty minutes.
Police confirm no officers were injured in the exchange. Both suspects died at the scene.
The encounter follows a series of targeted attacks on Lahore police that have put the department on high alert over the last week. Senior officials had been under intense pressure to track down those responsible for the ambush, which left two officers dead and several others wounded.
The CTD recovered automatic weapons, ammunition, and mobile devices from the site. Forensic teams are now working to extract data from the phones, which investigators believe will reveal the suspects’ network and potential links to larger militant factions operating in the Punjab region.
While the provincial government has touted the operation as a win for law and order, human rights observers are already calling for a transparent investigation into the circumstances of the encounter. Critics often raise concerns about the high frequency of suspects dying in police custody or shootouts during high-stakes investigations in Pakistan.
For now, the police maintain that the suspects were cornered while planning further attacks.
“We are closing in on the remaining members of this cell,” a senior police official told reporters at the scene, offering no further comment on the specifics of the investigation.
The bodies have been moved to a local hospital for post-mortem examinations as the department moves to secure the area and finalize its report on the incident.
