Two primary suspects in the high-profile murder of a senior housing authority official were killed in a police shootout, an Islamabad Police spokesperson announced on Wednesday, sparking further questions in the ongoing investigation.

The deceased individuals, identified as Abid Yaseen and Abrar Khan, were the main accused in the fatal shooting of Ehsan Elahi, the Director of Land for the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA). The attack, which occurred in Islamabad’s Blue Area on October 8, also resulted in injuries to Qaiser Ashfaq, a Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Commissioner and the brother-in-law of a deputy inspector general of police.

Following the initial Blue Area assault, the alleged perpetrators had been in hiding while law enforcement teams conducted a rigorous manhunt. The breakthrough came when the pair was first apprehended during a routine security check within the jurisdiction of the Noon Police Station. Authorities reported that the men opened fire on officers during this initial stop, but police personnel were not harmed.

According to the official police statement, the two men confessed to their involvement in the Blue Area attack during preliminary interrogation. Subsequently, police escorted the detainees to a location they had identified, with the objective of arresting their remaining accomplices.

During this operation, the police convoy was ambushed by unidentified gunmen. The police spokesperson stated that officers, having taken precautionary measures, remained safe and called for reinforcements. After the exchange of fire ceased and the area was secured, a search revealed the bodies of the two arrested suspects, Abid Yaseen and Abrar Khan.

The remains of the two men have been transferred to a hospital for a post-mortem examination. Meanwhile, a large-scale operation is underway to locate and apprehend the other individuals believed to be involved in both the original murder and the subsequent ambush on the police convoy.

The original case concerning the murder was registered at the Kohsar police station, based on a complaint from the victim’s brother, Waqas Elahi. The First Information Report (FIR) cites sections 302, 324, and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, detailing that the deadly incident took place around 10:40 p.m. while Ehsan Elahi was with his friend, Qaiser Ashfaq.