naveen mishra
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Peshawar Taliban gunmen have kidnapped a Chinese tourist in Daraban, near the western city of Dera Ismail Khan, close to the militant-infested tribal areas, officials and an insurgent commander said on Tuesday.
The man is the latest foreigner to be seized by militants in Pakistan. At least five others are known to be currently captive, including the elderly US aid worker Warren Weinstein, held since August 2011.
The Chinese man was abducted on Monday from Daraban, in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province close to the border with Baluchistan province and South Waziristan tribal district, both of which are rife with insurgents. Officials said the man was apparently passing through the area by bike when he was taken.
“We have recovered his bicycle and his travelling bag and have registered a case of kidnapping,” said Mohammad Salim Khan who heads the police station in the remote area, around 50 kilometres southwest of the city of Dera Ismail Khan.
It was not clear exactly what the Chinese national was doing in the remote region but police said he entered from Balochistan.
Tasnim Aslam, spokeswoman for the Pakistani foreign ministry, confirmed the kidnapping and said that police had launched a search operation.
China is one of Pakistan’s main allies, investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects including nuclear power plants, dams and roads.
A faction of the Tehreeke Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said they were behind the abduction.
“We have kidnapped the Chinese national and we claim responsibility for it,” Abdullah Bahar, a commander in South Waziristan said, adding that the man had been taken to a secret location on the Afghan border.
Abdullah Bahar, who claimed to be a commander of the Hakimullah Mehsud faction of TTP splinter group led by Sheryar Mehsud alleged in a telephonic interview that “we have kidnapped the Chinese tourist from Daraban and he is in our custody.”
He further stated that the Chinese tourist was abducted to force Pakistani authorities to release TTP fighters in their custody.
Regarding the location of the kidnapped tourist, Bahar said Hong Xu Dong had been shifted to a “safe area”.
The Chinese embassy in Islamabad could not be reached for comment, but in its report on the kidnapping China’s state news agency Xinhua said an official had said the mission was “contacting Pakistan’s relevant departments to verify the incident”.
Oman Tribune - the edge of knowledge
The man is the latest foreigner to be seized by militants in Pakistan. At least five others are known to be currently captive, including the elderly US aid worker Warren Weinstein, held since August 2011.
The Chinese man was abducted on Monday from Daraban, in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province close to the border with Baluchistan province and South Waziristan tribal district, both of which are rife with insurgents. Officials said the man was apparently passing through the area by bike when he was taken.
“We have recovered his bicycle and his travelling bag and have registered a case of kidnapping,” said Mohammad Salim Khan who heads the police station in the remote area, around 50 kilometres southwest of the city of Dera Ismail Khan.
It was not clear exactly what the Chinese national was doing in the remote region but police said he entered from Balochistan.
Tasnim Aslam, spokeswoman for the Pakistani foreign ministry, confirmed the kidnapping and said that police had launched a search operation.
China is one of Pakistan’s main allies, investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects including nuclear power plants, dams and roads.
A faction of the Tehreeke Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said they were behind the abduction.
“We have kidnapped the Chinese national and we claim responsibility for it,” Abdullah Bahar, a commander in South Waziristan said, adding that the man had been taken to a secret location on the Afghan border.
Abdullah Bahar, who claimed to be a commander of the Hakimullah Mehsud faction of TTP splinter group led by Sheryar Mehsud alleged in a telephonic interview that “we have kidnapped the Chinese tourist from Daraban and he is in our custody.”
He further stated that the Chinese tourist was abducted to force Pakistani authorities to release TTP fighters in their custody.
Regarding the location of the kidnapped tourist, Bahar said Hong Xu Dong had been shifted to a “safe area”.
The Chinese embassy in Islamabad could not be reached for comment, but in its report on the kidnapping China’s state news agency Xinhua said an official had said the mission was “contacting Pakistan’s relevant departments to verify the incident”.
Oman Tribune - the edge of knowledge
