Journalist gunned down in Swat

PESHAWAR: A senior journalist was gunned down in Swat's Matta by unidentified men, police confirmed on Wednesday.

Javedullah Khan, 36, was shot dead late Tuesday in Matta, a former militant stronghold some 40-kilometres (24 miles) northwest of the picturesque Swat valley.

He worked as a bureau chief for the Urdu language newspaper Ausaf.

"Javed was travelling with a police guard when two gunmen opened fire on his vehicle. He died on the spot," senior police official Muhammad Ijaz Khan told AFP.

Ali Muhammad a local police official, also confirmed the incident.

"It was a targeted attack," Muhammad added.

While militant networks have been severely disrupted in recent years, insurgents still retain the ability to launch attacks.

Amnesty International said Khan was an "exceptionally brave journalist" and called for an independent investigation into his killing.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but militants have long targeted pro-government tribal elders in the past.