A man shot dead in an execution-style killing in a busy Birmingham fitness gym had previously survived a murderous attack which killed his friend, the Sunday Mercury can reveal. Azmat Yaqub, 34, was gunned down at the Chic Physique Health and Fitness Gymnasium in the Sparkhill district on Thursday night. It is thought that one or two gunmen burst into the building and fired about 10 shots before escaping in a car. Last night a relative of the dead man, who lived in Small Heath, said the family was reeling with shock. "His partner gave birth just two weeks ago. He was made up. We can't believe this has happened," he said. Police are trying to establish a motive for the brutal killing but sources last night confirmed that they are probing a possible link to a drive-by shooting in Birmingham last year. In that attack, Mr Yaqub and a friend named Shaham Ali were shot at when two groups of Asian men clashed in Waverley Road, Small Heath. Mr Ali was blasted in the head and later died. Mr Yaqub was shot in the shoulder and is believed to have been wearing a bullet-proof vest. It is thought that last year's shooting was the terrifying conclusion to a huge bust-up between two factions at Birmingham Central Mosque. Six men were arrested in connection with the earlier shooting, including Sheik Abu Yusuf Riyadhul-Haq, 34, a former imam at the mosque. Two of the accused, Mohammed Arshad Khan and Mohammed Sharafit Khan, were later cleared by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court of murder and attempted murder. The court heard that Mr Riyadhul-Haq had secretly married a woman who became his second wife. But problems arose from that relationship which led to Shockat Lal, a mosque secretary, having an affair with the woman and making her pregnant. As a result Mr Lal was 'demonised' by followers of the imam. He and those who supported him were either expelled from the mosque or ostracised, the court heard. Shaham Ali and Azmat Yaqub were known to be close friends of the mosque secretary. Last night police sources confirmed that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with last year's attack. Mr Lal's brother Ali told the Sunday Mercury that Shockat had heard about Azmat's death. "He's knows it was Azmat," he said. "We don't know why it happened or whether it's got anything to do with what happened last year." The private gym in Forman's Street where Mr Yaqub died remained cordoned off yesterday. The shooting happened in the weights room next to an area where a group of youngsters were having a kick-boxing class but no one else was injured. Mr Yaqub was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after being found. Det Chief Inspector Steve Graham of West Midlands Police said: "At this stage we are not even sure if the person who was shot was the target of the attack and so it would be unfair for me to speculate at all. "It is certainly the sort of gym frequented by families and by regular members, and this sort of incident is well and truly out of character for it." A post-mortem examination was carried out on Mr Yaqub's body yesterday. | 
