Kabul, Jan 16 (IANS): Unknown armed men gunned down former Afghan female parliamentarian Mursal Nabizada along with one of her bodyguards at her residence, Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran has confirmed.

"The gruesome incident happened in Ahmad Shah Baba Mina, a neighbourhood of Police District 12 of Kabul city, where unidentified gunmen stormed the house of Mursal Nabizada and sprayed bullets on Saturday night, killing her and one her bodyguards and critically injuring one of her brothers," Zadran told Xinhua news agency.

An investigation has been initiated to identify the perpetrators and bring to justice the culprits, the spokesman added.

Nabizada served as a member of Wolesi Jirga, or lower house of the erstwhile Afghan Parliament, during the former government which collapsed following the withdrawal of the US-led forces in August 2021.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the assassination of the former lawmaker. Neither her family members nor the police have pointed fingers at any particular group or individual.

Afghanistan's capital Kabul has been the scene of increasing security incidents over the past several months. A blast next to the Foreign Ministry left at least five dead and injured over a dozen others on Wednesday.