Gunmen kill pro-government elder, his son in Bajaur

Incident comes hours after gunmen ambush car of local pro-government fighters in Swat Valley and kill three people.

KHAR: Gunmen shot dead a pro-government tribal elder and his son in Bajaur tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place in the area of Kitkoot, 32 kilometres northwest of Khar, the capital of Bajaur tribal region.

"Up to five gunmen entered a mosque after evening prayers on Wednesday and opened fire on the local pro-government tribal elder Malik Juma Gul and his son, killing them both on the spot," senior local administration official Abdul Haseeb Khan told AFP.

He said Gul's two bodyguards sustained serious injuries in the attack.

Another senior local official, Shah Naseem Khan, also confirmed the deaths.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack till the filing of this report.

The incident came hours after gunmen ambushed a car of local pro-government fighters in Kooza Bandi village in the northwestern Swat Valley, and killed three people.

Bajaur is one of seven semi-autonomous districts that make up the tribal regions.