KOHAT, March 18: Unidentified motorcyclists shot dead chief of a local religious peace committee in Hangu district on Sunday, sources said.

They said that Zakir Ali, chief of Shia Peace Committee, was going to his home when motorcyclists opened firing on him with automatic weapons at Shahu Square in Mohallah Sangerh. He was rushed to district headquarters hospital but he succumbed to his injuries on the way.

Police launched a search operation in Sarak Dana area but till filing of this report no arrest was made.

The deceased was appointed head of Shiite representatives in 2009 before Muharram when tension escalated in the area over the issue of mourners' route.

Locals said that terrorists were targeting prominent religious leaders for the last three years in Hangu to ignite sectarian clashes.

In Charsadda, two persons were killed and another received injuries in an explosion at a scrap shop in Shabqadar area on Sunday.

Sources said that a mortar shell exploded in the scrap shop, killing Alamgir on the spot. His two nephews identified as Mohammad Arif and Sabeehullah suffered critical injuries in the blast.

The injured were taken to a hospital but Mohammad Arif succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to the hospital.

Also, a middle school was blown up late on Saturday night by unidentified militants in Sarok Kallay area of Charsadda. Two rooms and a veranda of the school were destroyed in the blast. Police launched an operation in the area and arrested 22 outlaws including six suspected militants. The arrested persons were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

In Amirabad village of Umarzai area, unidentified persons blew up a cellular phone shop on Saturday night. Akhtar, the owner of the shop, said that he suffered huge financial loss in the explosion.

In Lakki Marwat, another government school was blown up in the remote Lawangkhel village in the small hours of Sunday.

“An improvised explosive device was planted at the building that went off at 4:40am, destroying two rooms and a veranda of the primary school,” police said. It was third incident of its kind during the last three days in the district.

“More than 80 students, both boys and girl, were enrolled in the school,” said an official of elementary and secondary education department.

He said that the department had issued fresh guideline to the watchmen and Class IV employees to ensure safety of schools or face disciplinary action.