LAKKI MARWAT: Two worshippers were shot dead and two others injured when a man opened fire in a mosque in Bagerkhel locality of Tajori town here on Monday.

Police said local villagers had assembled at the mosque to of fer Asr prayers when two local elders -Ismail and Ajmal -started quarrelling with each other over a minor dispute. They said Hidayatullah, the complainant, along with other worshippers intervened and tried to settle the dispute.

But suddenly Salman, also a resident of Bagerkhel village, came there and opened fire with an intention of killing Ismail, the police said, adding, however, that the bullets hit Hafeezullah, another worshipper, killing him on the spot. They said three other worshippers identified as Mohammad Hanif, Saifullah and Wazirazam, were seriously injured.

They said the injured were taken to a hospital in Tajori town. However, Saifullah was referred to the district headquarters hospital Tajazai, but he died on the way.

Police quoted the complainant Hidayatullah as saying that one of the deceased, Hafeezullah, was his brother. The killer escaped from the scene.

Police registered a case against him under 302 (premeditated murder) and 324(attempted murder) of PPC and began investigation.

OUTLAWS ARRESTED: Police claimed to have captured several wanted men and suspects during a search and strike operation in parts of the district on Monday.

An official said in the intelligence-based action conducted in rural localities of Tajori town bordering the FR region police arrested five outlaws and destroyed their hideouts. He said operation was launched to cleanse the border villages of criminals and miscreants.

The ofhcialsaid the cops also arrested three proclaimed offenders and 15 suspects in other localities of the district. He said police also seized four Kalashnikovs, a Kalakov, three shotguns, eight pistols and 539 bullets and registered cases against them.