US aid official shot dead
Wednesday, 12 Nov 2008 10:37
US aid official shot dead in Peshawar, Pakistan
A US aid official and his driver were shot dead in
Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar on Wednesday, the police have confirmed.
The two men were involved in a US- funded development programme in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, confirmed a security official in Peshawar. They were not diplomats or on an official assignment.
"The attack is currently under investigation and we are coordinating with the local authorities," said a US embassy spokesman.
The identity of the attackers is still unclear after the shots fired. "The gunmen ambushed the car and shot dead a foreign national and his driver in the city's University Town neighbourhood," said a local police officer.
This recent attack has been blamed on violent Islamic militants from the Taliban in Peshawar province, which borders Afghanistan.
There has been a series of attacks from these Islamic militants in recent months.
A suicide bomber attacked a sports stadium on Tuesday, also in Peshawar. The bomber killed three and injured 11.
Another suicide bomber killed three Pakistani soldiers and wounded four in a military camp above Peshawar, only a few hours after the aid official was shot.
Anti-American sentiment has been invigorated by US troops because of multiple missile strikes in the Pakistani tribal areas.