HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Police detained six people after an exchange of gunfire in connection with the killing of a Shiite cleric in western Herat province, an official said on Sunday.

Haji Azizullah Najafi, a former member of the Herat provincial council and a prominent Shiite cleric, was shot dead on Thursday by two motorcyclists in the Darwaz-e-Kandahar area of Herat City.

Police spokesman Col. Abdul Rauf Ahmadi told Pajhwok Afghan News the six suspects were arrested after a 45- minute shootout.

The gunmen were firing at the police from a compound in the first municipality district of Herat City, he said.

The mastermind of Najafi’s assassination, Hamidullah son of Abdullah Charsi, had already been arrested earlier.

The police spokesman said confessions of the detainees had identified more suspects in the case.

Ahmadi said the five suspects were detained with weapons and ammunition.

Ministry of Interior (MoI) spokesman Siddique Siddiqui confirmed five suspects, including the mastermind, had been arrested in the Najafi murder case.

Earlier acting governor Syed Fazlullah Wahidi, had assured the killers would be arrested in three days.

Najafi was a second Shiite cleric to be killed by unknown gunmen this year.

Earlier Syed Farooq, a prominent Shiite cleric, was gunned down by the Taliban.

So far no group has claimed responsibility for killing Najafi, who was buried a day earlier, when thousands of people attended his funeral prayers.

nh/ma

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