PESHAWAR, July 10: Station house officer (SHO) of the Mattani police station was killed by highwaymen near the Darwazgai area on the Kohat Road on Sunday, police officials told Dawn.

They said that the vehicle of SHO Mattani Sub-Inspector Gohar Zaman was attacked when he was patrolling the area along with two guards around 12:20am on Sunday, and added that the SHO died on the spot. No other policeman was killed or injured in the attack.

Sources claimed that his official driver and two guards ran away after seeing about 15 highwaymen on the road leaving the SHO alone.

The highwaymen opened fire killing SHO Zaman on the spot.

They said that the SHO was hit by two bullets on his forehead and three on his shoulders.

The sources said that the assailants escaped towards the semi-autonomous area of Dara Adamkhel.

The sources also said that the SHO was patrolling the area along with two guards in a private van seized by police about five years ago.

The van was court property but the police had been using it without any legal authority.

The sources claimed that the highwaymen stopped the van thinking it to be a public transport vehicle but on seeing the policemen they opened fire.

However, police officials claimed that the SHO was patrolling the area in his official vehicle.