Pro-government religious figure killed in Afghanistan

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - Gunmen on Thursday killed a pro-government religious leader in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, a local official said.

According to Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, the gunmen shot dead Hajj Affairs Director of Nangarhar Qari Hijran Hidayat in the provincial capital Jalalabad in the afternoon.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Khogyani said Hidayat, who was also a poet, died on the spot in front of his office. He added an investigation into the incident has been launched.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

Last month, Mawlavi Samiullah Raihan, a prominent pro-government religious scholar was killed in a blast inside al-Taqwa Mosque in Kabul.

Raihan a television celebrity for religious programs, was a staunch supporter of the Afghan security forces and opponent of the raging armed insurgency in the country.