At least three were killed when two groups exchanged fire over a land dispute in Machar Colony of Karachi on Monday, police said.

A man suspected of opening fire and his brother have been arrested while contingents of police and Rangers have been deployed at the scene, they added.

After the killing of the three, area residents came out protesting on the Maripur Road resulting in the blockade of the road.

Reports had said that an office of the MQM came under fire, however, SSP Keamari refuted the reports as baseless.

He said that neither of the groups involved in the dispute was from any political party.

Later, MQM-P leader Anis Kaimkhani claimed that an armed group of PPP attacked its candidates as they were electioneering in the area.

He alleged that the party’s candidates Humayun Usman and Malak Fayyaz were attacked by an armed group led by Nisar Khan, who he said was the coordinator of former health minister and PPP leader Qadir Patel.

According to Kaimkhani, at least three MQM-P workers were killed while several were injured and were moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.