PESHAWAR: At least nine people were killed on Wednesday after unidentified armed men attacked a house located on the outskirts of Peshawar, DawnNews reported.

In the Budhbher area of the city, unknown militants entered a house and launched an attack by opening fire and hurling hand grenades.

As a result, at least nine people lost their lives in the assault.

Superintendent of police (SP rural) Peshawar Rahim Shah said Pir Israr whose family was targeted, directly held no affiliation with any peace committee and was an ordinary man.

Furthermore, Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Fazal-i-Wahid told Dawn.com that armed militants entered the house of Pir Israr last night and separated women from the male members of the family.

Later, they tied the hands and feet of the male family members and shot them dead.

Wahid added that Pir Israr was the brother of Pir Zafar who was killed earlier in an encounter with Bara-based militants.

Zafar was the head of a local peace committee and had recently joined special police force.

One militant was also killed in that attack and it appears that Tuesday night incident was to avenge their militant comrade’s death, claimed DSP Wahid.

The nine deceased persons of Israr’s family included four sons and three nephews, while two of the nephews were said to be 16-year-olds.

As per Edhi sources, the dead bodies were shifted to Khyber Teaching Hospital.

Also, after the incident, police started a search operation in the area.

Residents of the area started their protests on the incident and while condemning the attack blocked the Kohat Road.

The attack came a day after 13 people were killed by a triple grenade attack on a Peshawar cinema.

Khyber straddles the Nato supply line into Afghanistan, used by US-led troops to evacuate military equipment as they withdraw by the end of this year.

Thousands fled fighting in Khyber district in the early months of last year, according to aid groups, though by June the army said it had taken control of all the key strategic heights.