Pakistani officials say unidentified gunmen have killed three people, including a former government minister, in a semi-autonomous tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
The officials say prominent tribal leader Malik Faridullah Khan was traveling in South Waziristan Sunday when his vehicle was ambushed in the Kani Wam area. His driver and a tribal elder were also killed.
No one has claimed responsibility for the killings.
The ambush came a day after a commander of Pakistani troops said the army has almost completely eliminated militants in South Waziristan.
The area became a refuge for many al-Qaida and Taleban fighters after the Taleban government was ousted in Afghanistan in 2001.
Some information for this report provided by AP.