Two killed, three injured in ambush in Pak

Two people, including head of a prominent group opposed to the Taliban, were killed and three others injured when the car they were travelling in was ambushed by unknown gunmen in northwest Pakistan on Saturday. Head of Turkistan Bhittani Group, also known as the Peace Committee, Malik Turkistan Bhittani along with his nephew Azizur Rehman was killed in the firing that happened in the Jandola area in South Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Malik's son was among the three injured in the incident. In the FIR lodged in Jandola police station, Muhammad Gul said they were boarding the car when unidentified armed men ambushed them. Malik and Rehman sustained fatal injuries and died on way to the hospital.

Gul accused Nasrullah Group of the assassination attempt. According to sources, a feud was running between Malik and his alleged rival Nasrullah Bhittani over a vehicle stand ownership.

It may be noted that Malik gained prominence when he separated his faction from Baitullah Mahsud, a hard-liner and anti-government Pakistan Taliban commander in 2007. Malik lost the lives of over 50 relatives, including his brothers and other close relatives in intermittent clashes with the Baitullah Mahsud group.