A US development worker and his driver were shot dead yesterday in northwest Pakistan, where a wave of violence has been blamed on militants linked to the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
They were ambushed in the provincial capital of Peshawar, in an area close to where a senior US diplomat escaped an assassination attempt in August.
“I can confirm that an American citizen and his Pakistani driver were killed in the attack,” US embassy spokesman Wes Robertson said. “The attack is currently under investigation and we are coordinating with the local authorities.”
Officials said the American worked with FDP, a program funded by the US to help develop the lawless tribal areas along the Afghan border where Islamist militants have been flourishing.
“He was heading towards his office in the University Town area,” when the ambush happened, said an FDP official who asked not to be named.
Peshawar, capital of North West Frontier Province, is witnessing a surge in violence blamed on Taliban militants, as Pakistani troops have launched operations against guerrilla fighters in the frontier region.
US forces have also launched air strikes in the region aimed at top militants, which have caused friction with the new government of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
The Pakistan military’s crackdown on the guerrillas — forces moved into the tribal Bajaur region in August — is unpopular with many in the region. Officials say the military campaign has left more than 1,500 people dead.
Also yesterday, a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-filled van into the gates of a school in a northwestern town, killing at least three paramilitary soldiers, police said.
It was the second suicide attack in the area in 24 hours.
The school, at Subhan Khaur village in Charsadda district, was being used by security forces battling Taliban militants in the region.
“At least three paramilitary soldiers have been killed in the suicide attack,” a police official said.
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