Ten people were killed and five injured on Thursday when gunmen opened fire on a passenger van at Toddo Mara, some 40 kilometres from Islamabad. The attackers drove up in a car with Islamabad registration plates and stopped the van on its way to Haripur from Kangra Colony, pulled its driver Mubasher out and shot him dead. Then, the attackers opened fire at the van passengers indiscriminately, killing five people — Abdul Basit, Raja Irfan, Qaiser, Khurshid and Fayyaz — at the scene. Muhammad Saleem and Nazakat died of bullet wounds on the way to hospital. Two others were killed, but police have not yet identified them. The attackers fled the scene. The five injured passengers were rushed to Ayub Medical Complex, where doctors declared four to be in critical condition. Locals said that two of the victims, Muhamamd Fayyaz and Khurshid, were pursuing a court case and were going to court to attend a hearing, and the killing might be related to that. However, the Kot Najeebullaha police station house officer rejected the speculation and termed the incident an act of terrorism.