Unknown armed men gunned down a district chief in eastern Khost province on Monday, police said.

"Syed Mohammad Khan, chief of Bak district, was on the way to office when unknown armed men opened fire and killed him on the spot," police chief of Bak district Bakhti Gul told Xinhua.

The incident, according to the police officer, happened at around 10:00 a.m. local time when unidentified gun men sprayed bullet on his car killing him on the spot.

None of his bodyguards and passersby was hurt in the attack, Gul added.

Meantime, Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in talks with media via telephone from undisclosed location claimed of responsibility, saying that Taliban fighters killed the Bak district chief for his support to the government and NATO-led troops based in Afghanistan.