| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Taliban kills foreign climbers |
| 2013-06-23 |
| Gunmen stormed a camp on Pakistan’s second largest mountain on Sunday, killing nine foreign climbers in a brazen assault that could deal a blow to the country’s efforts to jumpstart its tourism industry. Pakistan’s Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it retribution for a suspected U.S. drone strike last month that killed Wali ur-Rehman, the second highest-ranking leader of the terrorist group. “Through this killing we gave a message to international community to ask U.S. to stop drone strikes,” said Ehsanullah Ehsan, a Taliban spokesman. The attack in northern Pakistan at Nanga Parbat, the world’s ninth tallest mountain, occurred around 1 a.m. as the climbers and their guides were at a camp at about 4,000 feet above sea level. According to local and regional officials, about a dozen gunmen tied up the climbers’ Pakistani guides before shooting the climbers as they slept in tents. The attackers reportedly wore police uniforms, an increasingly common tactic Taliban militants have used to evade scrutiny. In all, 11 people were killed, including five from Ukraine, three from China and one from Russia. Two Pakistanis were also reportedly killed. At least one Chinese tourist survived and was later rescued from the area, known as Ferry Meadows, officials said. The assault occurred in the picturesque Gilgit Ballistan area, a popular tourist area in the Himalayan Mountains near the country’s border with China. Nanga Parbat rises to an elevation of 26,660 feet. The world’s second largest mountain, K2, with an elevation of 28,251, straddles Gilgit Ballistan's border with China. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #9 China is busy internally and very reluctant to start tango - ing again./ |
| Posted by: Newc 2013-06-23 23:15 |
| #8 3dc: the area around the mountain used to be Indian; Pakistan fought very hard for it and then ceded the area to China when they were through. China hasn't really shown much signs of caring when Pakistan-supported-taliban killed Chinese in the past; I guess they consider them too useful and the deaths as a cost of doing business in the great game. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2013-06-23 18:38 |
| #7 maybe Chinese elite troops kill them and hang their heads as a warning to others? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-06-23 17:59 |
| #6 This is a view of Nanga Parbat near the base camp. A magnificent mountain. Pic from wikipedia. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2013-06-23 17:28 |
| #5 Maybe climb from the China side while Pakistan sorts out its Taliban problem? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2013-06-23 17:08 |
| #4 Okay, the mountain is on the border between China and Pakiwakiland. One of the climbers killed on their own mountain is Chinese so solution should be simple to PRC... EXTEND the border to encompass K2 and access areas to K2. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2013-06-23 13:02 |
| #3 "WTF were they thinking?" Probably that it was a very cheap trip, Ship. Guess Everest would have cost less in the long run. :-( |
| Posted by: Barbara 2013-06-23 12:43 |
| #2 WTF were they thinking? I was betting the climbers were Germans, but no, wow, bad travel agent stories with a bullet. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2013-06-23 12:41 |
| #1 Because mountain climbing is un-islamic? |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2013-06-23 10:03 |