KARACHI, Oct 25: Five people were gunned down in the city on Thursday night. The killings appeared to be linked to the ongoing sectarian violence, a senior police officer said.

He said gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at people sitting in ‘Gulzar-i-Habib’ restaurant in Block 22 of the F.B. Area, causing severe injuries to five of them.

The injured were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Patel Hospital. Two of them died before reaching the hospital and three others succumbed during treatment.

An area police officer said four suspects on two motorcycles had carried out the shooting.

“Two of the deceased were from a nearby mosque,” said acting DIG West Amir Farooqui.

After the shooting, tension gripped the locality and all shops and markets were closed.

A spokesman for the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Maulana Akbar Saeed Farooqui, said members of his organisation were target of the attack.

Scores of people have fallen victim to violence in the city over the past several months.