Two Chinese engineers and their Pakistani security guard were kidnapped early today by unidentified men in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal area, bordering Afghanistan, where security forces have launched operations to flush out hiding Al-Qaeda militants. The duo- identified as Wang Peng and Wang Ende- were abducted by five persons when they were on their way to Tank, where they were working on Gomal Zam Dam, a Rs 12 billion hydro-power project, Chinese embassy officials said. One Pakistani guard, who was escorting the two engineers who worked for state-run Chinese company Sino Hydro Corp, was also kidnapped, the officials said, adding their vehicle was found abandoned by the road. Pakistan security forces have launched an operation to rescue them. The kidnapping is the latest in the series of attacks against Chinese workers in Pakistan. Late last month three Chinese personnel working on the same hydro-power project came under heavy firing by unidentified attackers.
A deadly car bomb attack on Chinese engineers helping Pakistan to build the multi-million dollar Gwadar seaport had killed three of them on May 3 this year. On June 10, unidentified assilants shot dead 11 Chinese road workers in Kunduz province in Northern Afghanistan, in the deadliest attack on foreign civilians since the fall of the Taliban. |