Priest shot dead in Peshawar, tribal elder killed in Balochistan blast

PESHAWAR: A priest was shot dead and another injured in a targeted attack by armed motorcyclists in the limits of the Gulbahar Police Station on Sunday.

Officials said the priest William Siraj left the local church in Gulbahar after Sunday mass along with Patrick Naeem and another priest when armed motorcyclists opened fire on their vehicle near the Ring Road.

William Siraj died after receiving multiple bullets while Patrick was slightly injured in the firing. The injured was taken to a hospital from where he was discharged later. Some reports said a third priest in the car remained unharmed. The attackers escaped after committing the crime.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan took notice of the target killing of the Christian community elder and directed the inspector general of police and others to arrest the killers at the earliest. "Initial reports suggested that two terrorists opened fire and escaped on a motorbike. The police have launched an investigation into the incident from all angles, including geo-fencing of the area and collection of all the data," Capital City Police Officer Abbas Ahsan told reporters. He along with SSP Investigation Kokab Farooq and other officials visited the spot and collected evidence from the crime scene.

The officials ordered to collect the CCTV footage from the nearby buildings to help identify the attackers.There were some reports that the faces of both the attackers were not covered as they were not wearing masks or helmets. The CCPO hoped the attackers would be arrested soon, claiming police had busted the ones involved in attacks on minorities in the past.

The body of Father William Siraj was shifted to Waliabad outside Yakatoot Gate. Reports said the last rituals of Father William Siraj would be held today (Monday) at the All Saints Church in Kohati that was attacked by terrorists in 2013, killing a large number of those who had turned up for Sunday services.

A series of target-killing of policemen, a religious scholar and Sikh community members have been reported in the provincial capital in the recent past. Meanwhile, a tribal chief was killed in a landmine explosion in Duki district of Balochistan.According to Levies sources, chieftain Khawaj Muhammad Loni, son of Dost Muhammad Loni, was passing through a road in the Tikri area of Duki in his car when the vehicle was caught up in a landmine blast.The tribal leader was seriously injured in the blast and was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.