Kabul, Nov 11 (IANS): A prayer leader was killed Monday morning in a shooting in Kandahar city, the provincial capital of the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, a source said.

"Unknown armed men using handguns shot dead the leader named Mulawi Atta Mohammad in Topkhana area of 1st police district at around 8 a.m. The victim died on the spot," provincial government spokesman Jawid Faisal told Xinhua.

He said the attackers fled from the scene shortly after the attack and police have launched a manhunt to nab the killers.

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far. Kandahar is notorious for growing poppy and is a known Taliban hotbed.

Recently, Afghan officials and pro-government figures have been repeatedly targeted by the militants as the Taliban insurgents intensified activities against government interests across the country.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has recently said that more than 1,300 civilians were killed and over 2,500 injured in Afghanistan from January to June this year.

Out of the total casualties in the first half of the year, there were 312 civilians killed and 131 injured in targeted killings across the county.

Civilians perceived to be supporting the government, civilian government employees, religious leaders, tribal elders and persons involved in peace and reconciliation efforts came under attack in targeted killings in the strife-torn country.