PESHAWAR: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Monday claimed responsibility for the killing of Lieutenant Colonel Tahir Azeem who was shot dead a day earlier by unknown gunmen in Peshawar's Hayatabad area, in a statement issued by Taliban spokesman Mohammad Khorasani.

On Sunday, two assailants on a motorcycle targeted Col Tahir in Abaseen Market when he was on his way home from a nearby mosque in Hayatabad Phase 3.

Take a look: Army officer shot dead in Peshawar

Local police said Tahir Azeem expired on the spot after sustaining multiple bullet wounds. A police official also told Dawn that Col Azeem’s murder appeared to be a target killing because there was no evidence that he had any personal enmity with anyone.

According to reports, Col Tahir Azeem’s brothers— Waqas and Shakil — were also shot dead in separate attacks in 2004 and 2005. Both Waqas and Shakil, however, had no association with the armed forces.

The government is currently is currently engaged in military operations against militants which were intensified after the brutal attack on Peshawar's Army Public School on Dec 16 last year, which left more than 130 students dead.

Operation Zarb-i-Azb was launched by the Pakistan Army last year, following a brazen militant attack on Karachi's international airport and failure of peace talks between the government and TTP negotiators.

Two other military offensives, Khyber-1 and Khyber-2 were also launched last year against banned militant groups in the northwestern region.