Gunmen shot and killed Stephen Vance an American as he was traveling to work for a US-funded aid program aimed at chipping away support for al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Pakistan's lawless tribal regions. Cance’s chauffeur was also reported killed I the firing.
The incident took place in an upscale neighborhood of Peshawar, a sprawling and increasingly lawless city on the eastern edge of northwestern tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
While there was no claim of responsibility, suspicion fell on Taliban- and al-Qaida-linked militants under fire from Pakistani military operations in the tribal areas as well as a surge in unilateral U.S. missile attacks on the region.
The border region is a possible hiding place for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri. Militants have found a safe haven there, using it as a staging ground for attacks on U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan as well as within Pakistan.
Vance worked for CHF International, a U.S.-based aid group that was implementing American government-funded schemes to pump $750 million over five years into developing basic infrastructure such as wells and better clinics and roads in the impoverished tribal areas — which count among the least-developed regions on earth.
Update
Also in Peshawar early Thursday, gunmen kidnapped an Iranian diplomat after killing his guard, police official Mohammed Manzoor said. He said authorities don't know who the gunmen were. Officials have cordoned off the city's main roads and are trying to trace the kidnapped Iranian.
The attacks were the latest in a string of attacks targeting foreigners in Pakistan.
The incident took place in an upscale neighborhood of Peshawar, a sprawling and increasingly lawless city on the eastern edge of northwestern tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
While there was no claim of responsibility, suspicion fell on Taliban- and al-Qaida-linked militants under fire from Pakistani military operations in the tribal areas as well as a surge in unilateral U.S. missile attacks on the region.
The border region is a possible hiding place for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri. Militants have found a safe haven there, using it as a staging ground for attacks on U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan as well as within Pakistan.
Vance worked for CHF International, a U.S.-based aid group that was implementing American government-funded schemes to pump $750 million over five years into developing basic infrastructure such as wells and better clinics and roads in the impoverished tribal areas — which count among the least-developed regions on earth.
Update
Also in Peshawar early Thursday, gunmen kidnapped an Iranian diplomat after killing his guard, police official Mohammed Manzoor said. He said authorities don't know who the gunmen were. Officials have cordoned off the city's main roads and are trying to trace the kidnapped Iranian.
The attacks were the latest in a string of attacks targeting foreigners in Pakistan.
No comments:
Post a Comment