MANSEHRA, Dec 12: A prayer leader and his wife were shot dead by unidentified persons inside their house in Ghanian area of Oghi on Wednesday.

According to police, unidentified assailants barged into the house of Maulvi Ali Akbar and sprayed him and his wife with bullets. The assailants managed to escape after committing the crime, they added.

“The assailants entered Maulvi Akbar’s house at about 11am and shot him and his wife dead,” a police official told journalists. He said that Akbar had married the woman after the death of his first wife.

Meanwhile, Balakot police claimed to have arrested two outlaws involved in murder and robberies in Mansehra district.

SHO Sabir Khan told a press conference on Wednesday that Sher Afzal and Mohammad Amir were on the run after looting three shops in Balakot last night. A police party arrested them on a tip-off, he added.

“Both the accused were involved in murder, attempted murder and robberies. They were released on bail from jail last week,” said Mr Khan.

He said that during interrogation the accused confessed to committing several robberies. The looted goods were also recovered from their possession, he added.

The SHO said that both the accused were produced in the court of local magistrate. The court handed them over to police on two-day physical remand, he added.