SUKKUR: Shikarpur police on Tuesday claimed to have gunned down two dacoits after an encounter on a road near here within the jurisdiction of New Faujdari police station. A police handout said the dacoits were fleeing the area after looting passengers and pedestrians when police caught up with them. When the dacoits saw police closing in on them, they opened fire at them to stop them from chasing. Police returned the fire, which resulted in the death of two gangsters, said Shikarpur SSP Shahzeb Chachar. He said the dead bodies were shifted to Shikarpur Civil Hospital for post mortem examination, where they were identified as Sajid Shaikh and Sadoro Sario. He said that police were checking criminal record of the deceased outlaws. The first priority of Shikarpur police was to protect life and property of citizens, he asserted.