Three robbers were shot dead in a cross fire with the police near the Sentul Pasar Toll Plaza in Kuala Lumpur this evening, three hours after they robbed a woman outside a bank in Bayu Perdana, Klang.

Selangor deputy police chief Abdul Rahim Jaafar said police had pursued the men after they stole more than RM2,000 from the victim at about 11.30am.

"A group of men had obstructed the victim's car outside the bank with two black Proton Wira cars before their accomplice on a motorbike robbed the woman," he told reporters at the scene.

Three men then sped off towards Gombak in one of the cars with police in pursuit and refused to stop when they reached the Sentul Pasar Toll Plaza, he said.

"They started shooting at the police and in the ensuing crossfire, all three were shot dead. A gun and machete were later found in the car," he said.

"The other car was later found abandoned by the side of the highway near the scene of the shoot-out. It was empty," he said, adding that both cars were registered under Indonesians.

He said the three dead men had yet to be identified but were suspected of being linked to a RM35,000 robbery in Subang Jaya on Monday.

"We believe they were active in such robberies outside banks in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur," he said.

- Bernama