Patna: A joint team of the special task force and Lakhisarai police arrested two criminals of a gang led by Uttar Pradesh don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and seized a cache of arms and ammunition following an encounter in the early hours of Sunday.

Police said that some other members of the gang suffered gunshot injuries in the gun battle between the police and gangsters who had assembled at Jaitpur diara (riverine area) under the jurisdiction of Lakhisarai district, around 140km east of Patna.

The police cordoned off the area and started a search in the makeshift houses. On seeing the police, the criminals who were hiding in a hut started firing, forcing the cops to retaliate. In the ensuing gunfight, a number of criminals suffered bullet injuries. However, they managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

The encounter lasted around 45 minutes. While the police fired over 20 rounds, the criminals fired over 25 at the police team. However, there was no report of any casualty on the police side.

Lakhisarai superintendent of police (SP) Arvind Kumar Thakur said the two arrested gang members were identified as Kundan Singh and Pramod Singh, both residents of Matihani in neighbouring Begusarai district.

One carbine, a 315 bore rifle, two country-made pistols, three mobile phones, two loaded magazines of AK-47 assault rifles and a number of live cartridges were seized from their possession.

Bloodstains were found on the spot from where the firearms were seized.

Thakur revealed that the arrested persons were earlier booked in cases of Arms Act and murder in Begusarai district.

"A few of the criminals who managed to escape were associated with the Mukhtar Ansari gang of Uttar Pradesh. Intensive search is going on in the area to trace the criminals who suffered injuries in the encounter," SP Arvind told The Telegraph over phone.

The SP revealed that the seized carbine and rifle bore had earlier been looted from the police.

"We had definite information about the AK-47 assault rifle with the criminals but they managed to flee with the sophisticated weapons," Thakur added.

Inspector-general (operations) Kundan Krishnan confirmed the seizure of weapons from the encounter site. Additional SP (operations) of Lakhisarai Pawan Kumar Upadhyay said criminal antecedents of the arrested were being ascertained.

"We are in touch with our counterparts in Begusarai to obtain details of their criminal record," Upadhyay said.