Kohat (Pakistan): At least seven members of a family were killed and another critically injured when unidentified gunmen ambushed their vehicle while returning from a picnic in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district, police said on Sunday.

The attack took place shortly after midnight on Saturday in Regi Shino Khel, a suburban area about 65 kilometres southwest of Peshawar. The victims were travelling back from Tanda Dam to their native village, Khara Ghari Muhammad Zai, when assailants opened indiscriminate fire.

District Police Officer (DPO) Kohat Zahidullah Khan confirmed the killings, adding that investigators had found no immediate evidence linking the assault to terrorism. “The incident occurred around 12.45 am. While some family disputes are being probed, it is too early to conclude,” he told reporters.

Emergency teams from Rescue 1122, assisted by police contingents, transported the bodies and the injured to District Headquarters Hospital, Kohat. The lone survivor was later shifted to a hospital in Peshawar for specialised care.

Family members of the deceased insisted they had no enmity with anyone. Police, however, said the attackers fled the scene, and a search operation was underway.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed has directed law enforcement officials to apprehend the perpetrators without delay.