ID :
182562
Mon, 05/16/2011 - 22:12
Auther :

Saudi diplomat shot dead in Pak; Taliban claims responsibility

Karachi, May 16 (PTI) Four motorcycle-borne Taliban
militants Monday shot and killed a diplomat of Saudi Arabia, a
staunch US ally, claiming it was to avenge the killing of
Osama bin Laden and continued drone attacks in Pakistan's
volatile north-west.
The incident came days after explosives devices were
lobbed at Saudi Arabia's consulate here.
The Saudi diplomat, identified in media reports as
Hasan M M Al-Kahtani, was attacked by four gunmen riding two
motorcycles while he was driving to work. He was said to be
head of security at the consulate.
Police officials said the gunmen intercepted the car
and sprayed over a dozen bullets at the victim.
"The diplomat was driving a vehicle with diplomatic
plates when two motorcycle riders unleashed a hail of gunfire
at Khayaban-e-Shahbaz in Defence," city police chief, Fayyaz
Leghari said.
"We are investigating if it was linked to the
Abbottabad operation or was an isolated incident," he said.
Leghari said the man killed was apparently a junior level
officer at the consulate.
The entire staff of the Saudi Arabian consulate in the
city was shifted to a unknown destination in high alert after
the killing in the posh Defence housing authority area.
The Saudi diplomat, identified in media reports as
Hasan M M Al-Kahtani.
The attack occurred a short distance from the Bahrain
consulate. The Saudi Embassy in Islamabad confirmed that the
victim was a diplomat.
The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan said it had
carried out the attack on the Saudi diplomat in retaliation
for the US attacks on the al-Qaeda, TV channels reported.
The TTP said it would continue to carry out attacks
until America stops chasing al-Qaeda and stops drone strikes
in the tribal areas.
A Taliban spokesman called the media to take
responsibility. The diplomat was declared dead on arrival at
the Jinnah Hospital.
Police said soon after the diplomat was killed the
security agencies moved the entire staff including Saudi
nationals to a five star hotel for security reasons.
"The consulate staff is being provided round the clock
security until the government takes decision on what next to
do," a senior official said.
The TTP and al-Qaeda had threatened to carry out
retaliatory attacks after US navy seals killed bin Laden, a
critic of the Saudi government.
Pakistan and the US have strongly condemned the
killing of the Saudi diplomat.
A statement issued by Pakistan's Foreign Office said
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar spoke
to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal on phone and
expressed her shock and anger over the killing.

Khar said a full investigation into the incident was
underway and the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to
justice.
Earlier on May 11, two men riding a motorcycle lobbed
two low intensity explosive devices at the Saudi consulate in
Karachi though no one was injured in the attack.
Saudi officials said the blasts caused minor damage to
buildings within the consulate compound.
Saudi Assistant Foreign Minister Prince Khaled bin
Saud had urged Pakistani authorities to ensure the protection
of the kingdom's diplomatic missions in the country.
Monday's attack came a fortnight after US special
forces raided a compound in the garrison city of Abbottabad
and killed Osama bin Laden, a critic of the Saudi government.
Al-Qaeda and Taliban have pledged to take avenge bin
Laden's death.

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