Kolkata, Apr 26 (IANS): A woman was killed in a shootout on a highway in West Bengal's Malda district.

The incident took place on Tuesday night in the Shimuldab area of National Highway-12.

The victim was identified as Ainur Bibi (28).

According to her husband Masu Seikh, the tragedy happened when he was returning home riding his bike with his wife and their seven-year-old son as pillion riders.

"As we reached the NH-12 at the Shimuldab area, suddenly a couple of miscreants riding a motorcycle, shot at my wife from a close range and left the scene. The locals rushed and with their help my wife was taken to a local hospital. But by then she had died," Seikh told newspersons on Wednesday morning.

"I have no idea of what prompted the assassination. I am unable to identify the killers as their faces were covered by the tinted glass of the helmets they were wearing. We have no enmity with anyone."

The police said that the motorcycle on which the deceased woman was travelling with her husband and son is in their possession now.

The cops have started an investigation to identify the killers.

The local MLA from Malda (SC) constituency Gopal Chandra Saha and BJP Lok Sabha member from Madla (North) constituency, Khagen Murmu met the husband.

Both have demanded speedy enquiry to identify the killers.