LANDIKOTAL: A surge in targeted killings and violent incidents across Khyber district and its surrounding areas, including Peshawar and Charsadda, has triggered widespread fear and uncertainty among residents, raising concerns about a possible resurgence of militancy in the region.
The latest incident occurred in Landikotal, where last week unidentified assailants shot dead a local cleric, Maulana Sheikh Yousaf Zakhakhel, in the Karamna area of Bazaar Zakhakhel.According to local sources, the attackers opened fire on the cleric near his mosque as he was returning after leading prayers.
He sustained critical injuries and died on the spot, while the assailants managed to flee.No group claimed responsibility, and police have launched an investigation.The killing came just a day after another attack in Landikotal, in which two people - a 12-year-old boy and his uncle - were gunned down by unidentified armed men while traveling in a vehicle in the Mazrina locality.
Violence has also gripped Bara tehsil, where a government school teacher, Musafar Shah, was shot dead by unidentified motorcyclists outside Government High School Jan Khan Killay. The attackers opened fire as he reached the school gate, killing him instantly.The motive behind the killing remains unclear, and family members said they had no known personal enmity.
