Aid workers shot dead in Pakistan
Pakistan security officials look for evidence in an office of the World Vision aid agency after militants attacked it in Mansehra district, located in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province, on Wednesday. (Reuters)
Published: Mar 10, 2010 23:39 Updated: Mar 11, 2010 02:02
ISLAMABAD: Suspected militants armed with grenades attacked the offices of a Christian aid group helping earthquake survivors in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six employees and wounding several others, police and the organization said.
All the victims of the assault on World Vision, a major international humanitarian group, were Pakistanis.
Extremists have killed other people working for foreign aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organizations were working against Islam, greatly hampering efforts to raise living standards in the desperately poor region. Many groups have scaled down operations in the northwest or pulled out altogether.
The attack took place in Ogi, a small town in Mansehra district, which was badly hit by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.
“It was a brutal and senseless attack,” said Dean Owen, World Vision spokesman in Seattle, Washington. “It was completely unexpected, unannounced and unprovoked.” Another spokesman said the group had suspended operations across Pakistan as a result of the attack.
Two women were among the six dead, said local police chief Sajid Khan. Four people were wounded.
He said about 10 gunmen took part in the raid.
“They went inside, opened fire indiscriminately and then threw grenades before fleeing,” said Khan.
Many foreign aid groups set up offices in Mansehra after the 2005 earthquake, which killed about 80,000 people.
In 2008, militants there killed four Pakistanis working for Plan International, a British-based charity that mainly helps children.
World Vision is one of the world's largest and well-funded Christian aid groups. It was founded 60 years ago in the United States.

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SARA AL-SHAIKH
Mar 13, 2010 12:25
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