A district chief has been shot and killed in Afghanistan's western province of Nimroz by gunmen riding on a motorcycle, an Afghan official says.

Ahmad Arab, a spokesman for the provincial governor, says Aqa Mohammad Fazeli was on his way to work when he came under attack by two gunmen on June 19.

The killing took place in the provincial capital, Zaranj.

Fazeli was the chief in the remote Chakhansor district of Nimroz and also a tribal leader in the province, Arab said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which came as the Taliban stepped up assaults against Afghan security forces as well as government officials across the country.

Based on reporting by AP and HUB Tv

