Kabul, Oct 24 : Afghan police gunned down two armed robbers and seized four AK-47 rifles during a confrontation in northern Balkh province, the provincial police office announced in a statement on Friday.

The incident took place late Thursday night in the Chahi district, where the robbers ambushed a passenger vehicle, looting all the belongings from its passengers. The victims promptly reported the crime, enabling a rapid police response, the statement said, Xinhua News Agency reported.

When police attempted to arrest the suspects, the robbers resisted, triggering a brief firefight that resulted in both assailants' deaths.

A search of their possessions uncovered four Kalashnikov assault rifles, two belonging to the robbers and two previously stolen from security forces.

In a related incident, police killed another armed robber in a clash in neighbouring Sari Pul province on Wednesday.

No additional casualties were reported, and investigations are ongoing.

On October 6, provincial police spokesman Mullah Ezatullah Haqqani said police discovered and seized nearly 400 pieces of firearms and military equipment during a series of operations in the southern Afghanistan Helmand province over the past five months.

The weaponry, which includes 41 stocks of Kalashnikovs, 188 pieces of pistols, one piece of RPG-7, two stocks of M16, more than 170 pieces of other types of arms and thousands of bullets and projectiles, has been confiscated from the provincial capital Lashkar Gah and adjoining districts, the official asserted.

Police have also taken into custody 75 individuals on charges of keeping and carrying arms illegally, the official further said.

As part of efforts to ensure viable peace in the post-war Afghanistan, the Afghan government's security organs have collected thousands of arms and ammunition, including battle tanks, since taking over power more than four years ago.

Earlier, on September 14, the provincial police office said police had discovered arms and ammunition in operations in eastern Afghanistan's Kapisa province.

The weaponry, which included eight pieces of hand grenades and firearms, has been discovered and seized by police in a series of operations over the past couple of days.

/IANS