NOWSHERA, Oct 28: Three people, including an assailant, were killed and a young girl injured when some gunmen barged into a house in Maira Misri Banda and opened fire on the family here on Monday night.

The motive behind the attack was stated to be a marriage dispute between the victims’ family and that of the assailants.

The two victims were identified as Mohammad Jan and his cousin, Mujeer Mohammad, while the third victim, Farhad, was the brother of the assailants.

Police registered a triple murder case on the complaint of the injured girl, Nihayat, against Nasir, Intikhab and Farhad, sons of Dilbar Khan, resident of Jalbai, Swabi.

The girl told the police that the three armed men forcibly entered their house after the Taraveeh prayers to kidnap her as her father, Khan Mohammad, had refused to marry her with one of the accused.

She said that as her brother, Mohammad Jan, scuffled with Farhad to save her, Nasir and Intikhab opened fire on them, killing both of them on the spot. She also received bullets and was seriously injured.

Nihayat said that when her cousin Mujeer Mohammad came to rescue her and Mohammad Jan, he was also gunned down by the assailants.

The police registered the case and started investigations.