Prayagraj, Dec. 18 -- A history-sheeter was shot dead by unidentified assailants in an apparent gang rivalry near Kanchanpur village in the trans-Ganga area of Prayagraj late on Tuesday night, police said. The victim was identified as Afsar Ahmed. He was attacked under the limits of Mauaima police station. Police said three bike-borne assailants opened fire at him and escaped from the spot. According to police, Ahmed was returning to his home in Markhamau village from Soraon on a motorcycle when the attackers, who were allegedly waiting for him, stopped him near Kanchanpur and shot him in the head. Family members and local villagers rushed him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Preliminary investigation suggests the killing was linked to an ongoing gang rivalry. Ahmed had recently been released on bail in a murder case after spending nearly one-and-a-half years in jail. Confirming the incident, DCP (trans-Ganga) Kuldeep Singh Gunawat said several police teams have been formed to trace the attackers. Late-night checks were carried out in nearby areas, but no arrests had been made till the filing of this report. Police said Ahmed had around 18 criminal cases registered against him at different police stations in the region. Investigators believe rival gang members had been tracking his movements since his release from jail. Police said the post-mortem report revealed that Ahmed died after the attackers fired at least ten rounds at him in rapid succession. Two bullets passed straight through his body, while eight bullets struck different parts, officials said. At the crime scene, DCP Kuldeep Singh Gunawat and ACP (Mauaima) Vivek Kumar Yadav, along with police teams from several stations, recovered two empty cartridges. Ahmed's wife, Shakeela Bano, lodged a complaint at Mauaima police station against Ashiq alias Durrani, former village head Wajid Ali alias Bachau and his son Mansoor alias Jhallu, Atiq Ahmad, Akbar, all residents of Shivpur in Sultanpur Khas, and Gulfaam of Markhamau, besides four unidentified hired criminals. DCP Gunawat said three police teams have been formed and CCTV footage and surveillance data are being examined to identify the assailants. Police said a case has been registered for murder and criminal conspiracy, and a manhunt is under way to arrest the accused....