KHUZDAR: Armed men on Monday shot dead a Station House Officer (SHO) in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, police said.

Police said SHO Nisar Ahmed Mengal was on way to the police station when armed motorcyclists opened fire at him on the district’s Hospital Road.

As a result, he suffered multiple bullet wounds and died instantly whereas the assailants managed to escape.

Mengal’s body was shifted to a hospital while police launched an investigation into the killing.

Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is believed to have substantial oil and gas reserves. But it is one of the country’s most unstable areas and attacks on police and troops are common.

The province has been the focal point of rising violence against the ethnic Shia Hazara minority. It also suffers from a decade-long insurgency by Baloch nationalists who want greater autonomy and a larger share of oil and gas revenues.