Unknown gunmen shot dead seven members of a family while they were sleeping in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan, the local security officials said.

Hijratullah Akbari,a spokesperson for Kunduz Police, confirmed the incident and said the gunmen shot dead 7 members of the family in Imam Sahib district.

He also added that the incident took place in the early hours of Sunday monring but did not elaborate further.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports emerging from the area suggest that a man opened fire on his family members, killing at least eight of them.

The reports further add that the man killed his brother and his six nephews including four children aged 4, 5, 7 and 10 years old and wounded at least two others.

According to the reports, the incident has links with the internal differences within the family.