LARKANA, Oct 15: Three men were shot dead in an armed attack on a shop in Wada Mahar village on the outskirts of Larkana city on Friday.

Armed men in a car opened fire at the shop of Qadir Bakhsh Mahar, killing him, Mohammed Ayoub Jatoi, the headmaster of Peer Hajan Shah Primary School, and Abid Ali Meerani, a vendor.

The bodies were taken to Chandka Medical College Hospital and, after post-mortem, handed over to the relatives.

Officials at the Baqapur police station said that raids had been conducted at the houses of the attackers but they were not found there as the houses had already been vacated.

However, they said, some suspects had been picked up for interrogation.

People belonging to Abro community closed their shops in Larkana due to fear of a backlash.

The attack is said to be linked to a dispute between two groups of people belonging to Mahar and Abro communities, caused by the murder of one Najmuddin Abro in 2003. The dispute has claimed 11 lives from both sides so far.

In 2006, Sardar Himmat Khan Kamariyo and Ghous Bakhsh Mahar had settled the dispute at a private reconciliatory meeting and imposed heavy fine on the Mahars, sources said.

The Mahars had gone to the Abros to seek pardon for the murder and pay the fine but the Abros had declined to receive the fine, sources said.

After four years, the Mahars allegedly attacked and seriously injured Zulfikar Ali Abro, owner of a medical store, resulting into the revival of the dispute. WOMAN KILLED: A young woman was shot dead in Chakyani village near Shahdadkot on Friday, according to her husband.

Athar Ali Umrani said in an FIR he lodged at the Shahdadkot police station that that he had married Sajida four months ago against the wishes of her family.

He said that Sajida had been engaged to her relative Abdullah Lolai but had refused to marry him.

Athar nominated Arbab, Nabi Dad alias Haji, Pathan and Liaquat Ali, all relatives of Abdullah, in the FIR and said that they broke into his house and shot his wife dead.

No arrest has been made.