SARI PUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The unknown armed militants gunned down the deputy district governor of Gosfandi district in the northern Sari Pul province, provincial government spokesman Zabihullah Amani said on Sunday.

"Tahir Azizi the deputy for district chief of Gosfandi district was coming out from a mosque at nearby his residence on Saturday evening when the armed militants opened fire and killed him on the spot," Amani told Xinhua.

The official, however, blamed the militants for the assassination to terrorize the people.

The Taliban has yet to claim responsibility for the attack.