TRINKOT, Afghanistan, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Unknown armed men gunned down a former chief of government-backed peace body, the High Peace Council (HPC), in Afghanistan's southern Uruzgan province on Sunday, spokesman for provincial government Dost Mohammad Nayab said Monday.
"The former HPC chief in Uruzgan province Abdul Baqi was in a shop in the provincial capital Trinkot city on Sunday evening when unidentified armed men opened fire on him killing him on the spot and made their good escape," Nayab told Xinhua.
No group or individual has claimed of responsibility.
However, the official didn't rule out the involvement of Taliban militants in the deadly incident, saying investigation has been initiated into the case.
Established in 2010, the High Peace Council has been authorized to contact anti-government militants including the Taliban insurgents and encourage them to give up fighting.
