Hazarashiaamong twogunneddown

Unidentified gunmen shot down three government officials, including a senior officer belonging to the Hazara Shia community, in an ambush on Wednesday. The extremist Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group claimed the responsibility for the attack. According to police, Pishin Local Government Assistant Director Muhammad Saeed Khan was among the slain officials who were travelling to Quetta from Pishin. The two other officials were identified as Yasin Hazara and driver Mohammad Saleem. As per details, the armed men opened indiscriminate fire on the official vehicle of the Local Government Department, killing two officials on the spot and injuring the driver. Soon after the incident, police rushed to the site and shifted the dead officials and the injured driver to hospital, where he also succumbed to his injuries. When contacted, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (Operations) Hamid Shakeel said that the incident appeared to be a case of targeted killing, adding that Yasin Hazara could have been the target. He said the assailants, who were riding a motorcycle, escaped from the site after firing. Meanwhile, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi spokesman Abu Bakar telephoned newspaper offices, and claimed the responsibility for the attack. He confirmed that Yasin Hazara had been the prime target because he acting as a witness in court against the extremist group’s activists. However, he regretted over the killing of two “Sunni brothers”.