MIRAMSHAH, June 17: Three people were killed and two others seriously injured when gunmen stormed a bank in the North Waziristan Agency headquarters town here on Wednesday.

The assailants entered the branch of United Bank in the main bazaar in an apparent robbery attempt, but they started indiscriminate firing when their bid was resisted. The firing continued for quite some time, eyewitnesses said.

As a result, a passerby, Saifullah, was killed on the spot, while a bank cashier, a guard and another passerby were seriously injured. They were taken to the Agency Headquarters hospital.

According to witnesses, one of the assailants was also injured when the guards returned the fire, but the others succeeded in taking him away while fleeing from the bazaar.

The injured cashier Shahbaz Khan and guard Haji Bazi Khan Darpakhel died in the hospital, while the passerby, Iqbal Maseeh, was under treatment. The bank officials said that the dacoits whose exact number could not be known failed to take away money and fled after spraying the bank staff and the other people present inside with bullets.

The political authorities reached the spot soon after the incident and started investigation. A bank was also looted in the Mirali town bazaar one week ago.