News - Afghanistan
An Afghan tribal elder was shot dead by gunmen while he was praying in a mosque in southern Helmand province on Sunday night, local officials said.
Haji Abdul Samad, a powerful tribal elder in the Garm Ser district, was in the mosque when gunmen opened fire on him at about 08:30 PM, district governor Ayoub Omr said.
"Gunmen shot him while he was praying in a mosque. During the shooting he got serious injures and the foreign troops took him to an Isaf hospital in the compound for treatment. But he died," Omr said.
The elder's son Daoud Farhang is a member of provincial High Peace Council, he said.
Police have started an investigation to capture the suspects, he added.
No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Insurgents frequently target local officials with powerful and those with links to the government in the provinces.