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Pakistan Sikh gunned down in 'targeted killing'

Shooting amid ongoing government-Taliban battles
Pakistan Sikh gunned down in 'targeted killing'
Published: August 06, 2014 08:10 AM GMT
Updated: August 05, 2014 09:46 PM GMT

Gunmen shot dead a member of the minority Sikh community in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, in what police said was a targeted killing.

The attack took place in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Jugmoon, Singh, 30, a cosmetics trader, and two friends were targeted inside their shop,” Mustafa Tanvir, a senior police officer, told ucanews.com.

Singh was killed while the other two were taken to hospital with bullet wounds.

The police officer said that all three men targeted by assailants belonged to the Sikh community.

“It’s premature to say who was behind the shooting until investigations are done,” Tanvir said.

The shooting sparked a protest by relatives of the dead man and other members of the Sikh community, who blocked a major road in Peshawar and burned tires.

Chanting slogans against the government, they called for the immediate arrest of the gunmen.

Pakistan is home to about 20,000 Sikhs.

Wednesday’s attack comes two days after an anti-Taliban Sufi leader, Faqir Jamshed, was killed in a bomb blast in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province borders the semi-autonomous tribal region, where Pakistani forces are battling Taliban militants in a bid to stamp out terrorism from the country.

In a press statement, Pakistan’s military said warplanes pounded targets in Datta Khel, Marsi Khal and Marshaal areas on Tuesday morning, killing 30 militants and destroying six hideouts.

Nearly 550 militants have been killed in the tribal area since Pakistan army started its Zarb-e-Azb offensive on June 15, according to the military.

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