Seven individuals linked to the same family were killed after unknown gunmen shot at them in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Police said Sunday. The incident occurred late Saturday in Regi Shino Khel, which is a suburban area of Kohat district. The area is located about 65 km southwest of Peshawar.
The family was returning from a picnic at Tanda Dam to their village, Khara Ghari Muhammad Zai, when the gunmen opened fire, police said. District Police Officer Kohat, Zahidullah Khan, said an investigation is underway, adding that there is no clear evidence of terrorism. He said, “The incident occurred around 12:45 am. Some family disputes are being looked into, but it is too early to say anything for sure.”
Emergency Teams Shifted the Victims to Hospital
Rescue teams, helped by police, took the bodies and the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kohat. The injured individual was sent to a hospital in Peshawar for treatment. Police later said that all the victims of the firing were friends and the family told they had no enmity with anyone.
The attackers escaped, and a search is ongoing. Inspector General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zulfiqar Hameed, has ordered police to arrest the gunmen quickly.
Earlier, on Pakistan’s Independence Day, a police officer was killed and another injured after unidentified gunmen attacked a police station near Peshawar, officials said.
Firing Incident Was Reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Earlier this Week as Well
According to reports, the officer was identified as Constable Abu Bakar. According to news agency PTI, the attackers were armed with heavy weapons and they targeted the Hassan Khel police station, about 30 km southwest of Peshawar. Police also responded with heavy fire, which resulted in a fierce gun battle.
Meanwhile, in another incident on Wednesday, a woman and two children were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when their house was hit during a military operation. Several others were injured. They were later taken to a local hospital.
The operation forced about 55,000 people to leave their homes with more than 20,000 families now living in designated shelters.
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