New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS): Sounds of gun shots broke the silence of early Wednesday morning in the heart of the national capital as the Delhi Police nabbed a group of snatchers from the Connaught Place area.

A gang of four criminals on motorbikes asked to stop by the police opened fire. In the return fire, Delhi Police claims two accused were injured of the three held.

It was a relief for the city police, who have been facing a lot of flak for the rising number of crimes in the national capital.

The police team chased down a group of criminals in a bid to crack a racket of snatchers prowling in Delhi for several weeks. The gang was involved in the phone snatching incident of an air commodore when he was cycling back from gym.

The group of four robbers opened fire at the police team near the Shankar Market. "The 3 criminals arrested have been identified as Salim, Ismail and Saud. Salim and Ismail have been taken to a hospital after they suffered bullet injuries in the encounter," a senior Delhi Police official said.

After the air commodore, the very next day again the gang snatched a bicycle and iPhone from another victim. "They were targeting only morning walkers and cyclist in the Connaught place market area," the official added.