TANK, July 3: Awami National Party’s Tank district president Khan Gul Bittani was gunned down by an unidentified assailant here on Tuesday evening, his relatives and police said.

Mr Bittani’s brother Dilawar Khan, who lodged FIR with police against an unidentified killer, said that they didn’t have enmity with anyone. He said that his brother, 60, was elected ANP district president for the fourth consecutive term.

Mr Khan said that Mr Bittani remained associated with the party since his college life and was also a member of the ANP provincial council.

He said that the ANP district president was in a rickshaw when an assailant intercepted it near his village Gara Badha, three kilometer west of Tank city, and shot him dead. Police registered an FIR against an unknown killer and have started investigation.

The police said that Taliban’s involvement in the case could not be ruled out, as in past they had targeted ANP leaders and members, and heads of peace committees in the area.

Over 20 people have been killed in targeted killing in Tank district during past two months, they said.

In Khar, Bajaur Agency, a security official was killed and three others were seriously injured when a remote-controlled bomb exploded in the border area of Bara Kamangara of Nawagai tehsil on Tuesday.

The security personnel were on routine patrolling when the bomb planted along the road went off, residents said.

Talking to reporters, a local administration official confirmed the incident and said that no group had so far claimed responsibility for the blast.

The Levies force and volunteers of peace committees have launched search operation in the area after the incident and arrested several suspects, some of them under the collective responsibility law of the FCR.

Meanwhile, 15 local tribesmen were arrested by the administration on Tuesday in connection with a militant attack on a checkpost in Mamond tehsil on Monday night. Officials confirmed the action in the area and said that over 20 people had been arrested during last two days.

Our correspondent from Mingora reported that Swat police have arrested a key militant during a raid on his house at Nawan Kallay, Swat valley.

Sources said that following a tip-off that an important militant loyal to Mualana Fazlullah was present in his home in Nawa Kallay, the police party raided his house and arrested the militant identified as Mujahid, son of key commander of Swat TTP Sher Mohammad.

The police shifted the detained militant to undisclosed location for interrogation.