Three persons, allegedly involved in a sensational bank robbery bid in which two guards were killed on September 21, have been arrested following an encounter with the police in Noida, officials said Wednesday.

A gun-battle broke out between the accused and the police late Tuesday night in the city's Sector 19 area in which two of them suffered injuries and were hospitalised, while the third was taken into custody, a senior official said.

"Two of their accomplices, including a minor, managed to give the police the slip in the darkness of the night," Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma said.

Two private security guards of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) were bludgeoned to death by unidentified assailants in an attempted robbery at its circle office in Sector 1 here on September 21.

The two security personnel, Mudrika Prasad and Mukesh Yadav, were in the guard room of the bank when the accused attacked them on their head with a baton and an iron rod, leading to their deaths.

SSP Sharma said a probe has revealed that five persons, all members of a gang, were involved in the case.

"The arrested accused have been identified as Aqil Khan, Dinesh and Vishal alias Munshi. Aqil and Dinesh suffered injuries in the police firing and have been admitted in the district hospital," Sharma said.

He said during the encounter the accused had opened fire on the police team from the Sector 20 police station.

"Aqil and Dinesh received bullet injuries on their feet in retaliatory action by the policemen and the duo was hospitalised. Vishal was arrested," he said.

During the robbery bid, the men had tried to break into the strongroom of the bank, located in the basement of the building, but failed.

According to the police, the accused lived in the slums here and had reconnoitred the bank office in Sector 1, adjoining the national capital, a few times recently.

Further probe was underway and a hunt launched to nab the absconding accused, the police said.