[ALMANAR.LB] Two ambassadors, and the wives of two other ambassadors, were among six people killed when a helicopter crashed Friday into a school in northern Pakistain.Pakistain's military believes a mechanical problem caused the Mi-17 helicopter to go down, army front man Gen. Asim Bajwa told CNN, citing an initial investigation.
But a front man for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain, known as the TTP or Pak Taliban, insists this was no accident. Members of his myrmidon group used a surface-to-air, shoulder-fired missile, Mohammed Khurrassani said.
The Taliban front man said holy warriors had "a special plan to target" Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
during his anticipated visit to Pakistain's Naltar Valley. Sharif wasn't part of the delegation in Naltar, but the TTP -- according to Khurrassani -- carried through nonetheless.
Khurrassani appeared to warn of future attacks using SAM-7 anti-aircraft missiles.
"We will soon unveil to the entire world the shoulder-launch missile SAM-7 and its training," he said.
Those killed include Norwegian Ambassador Leif Larsen and Philippines Ambassador Domingo D. Lucenario Jr., as well as the wives of Indonesia and Malaysia's top diplomats in the Asian nation, and the two pilots, according to Pakistain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a statement from the Philippines' foreign affairs department, the 54-year-old Lucenario was remembered as a decorated "career ambassador" who had worked out of Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, Afghanistan and Kenya, where his jurisdiction included 12 African countries.