SUKKUR, Nov 5: Three women, a minor girl and a man were killed and three others, including two minor children, were injured when armed intruders opened indiscriminate fire in a house in a village near Ghotki on Friday.

More than 20 armed men barged into the house of Gul Baig Mahar in Magan Dari village in the early morning and showered bullets on the sleeping family. As a result his wife Khatoonzadi, son Murad, daughter-in-law Samani, granddaughter Aderai, 3, and relative Rehmat Khatoon were killed and Gul Baig and two minor children, whose names could not be ascertained, were injured.

He was shifted to Civil Hospital Sukkur due to his critical condition.

A team of doctors from Ghotki Taluka Hospital reached the village and conducted post-mortem of the bodies. The funeral prayers of deceased were held after Friday prayers amid police security.

DPO of Ghotki Saqib Ismail Memon told Dawn that a case had been registered at the Khanpur Mahar police station against unidentified people belonging to Gabol tribe on the complaint of relatives of the deceased.

He said that the killings were the result of an old enmity between Mahar and Gabol tribesmen.

According to sources, the deadly attack was carried out to avenge the death of a bandit, Nazeer Gabol. They said three years ago Nazeer had entered the village with the intention of committing robbery but was killed when the villagers opened fire.

Fear prevailed in the area as people of both the tribes had been entrenched against each other and armed men belonging to Mahar tribe had gathered in the village.