MARDAN, March 15: Unidentified assailants gunned down a couple in Garushah area of Takhtbai tehsil here on Friday, police said.

Officials of Takhtbai police station said unknown armed persons opened indiscriminate fire on a couple near Garushah police post when they were on way to their relatives’ home.

As a result, police said, the man died on the spot and his wife was taken to district headquarters hospital Mardan with critical injuries by the personnel of Rescue 1122 where she succumbed to her injuries. The alleged killers fled the scene.

Police said a girl had eloped with one of the sons of the victims a few days back without the consent of her parents which led to the killings.

The officials of Takhbai police station registered FIR against unidentified assailants on the complaint of the victims’ relatives and started investigation to ascertain real cause of the murder.

Meanwhile, the personnel of Chora police on Friday foiled a sabotage attempt by recovering 800 dynamites from a car on Narshik road and arrested the driver.

Ibrahim Shah, SHO of Chora police station, told reporters that he had information that some explosive devices were being smuggled in a car. He said they stopped a car (LOV-3554) on Narshik road and recovered 800 dynamites from the vehicle after search.

He said they registered FIR against the car driver identified as Hamid and were interrogating him. — Correspondent