US aid group attacked in NW Pakistan; 6 dead

[Robb]

Source: AP

ISLAMABAD — Suspected militants armed with assault rifles and a homemade bomb attacked the offices of a U.S.-based Christian aid group helping earthquake survivors in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six Pakistani employees, police and the organization said.

The assault prompted World Vision, a major international humanitarian group, to suspend its operations in Pakistan. Other aid organizations condemned the attack but said it would not lead them to curtail their own activities.

Extremists have killed other foreign aid group employees in Pakistan and accused such organizations of working against Islam, greatly hampering efforts to raise living standards in the desperately poor region. Many groups have already 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.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hkiMxbHNH0BqgpWA2ZG6VD6wVTmAD9EBSHI01

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Edited for spelling

[tekisui]

1. That is horrible.

So sad.

[maxsolomon]

2. predictable

i doubt the militants would respect a non-religious NGO either.

[Robb]

3. Worse than predictable, it's actually quite common.

World Vision is likely to pull out of Pakistan entirely.

Soon it will be only Red Cross/Red Crescent left.

[maxsolomon]

4. And soon, only Red Crescent

Sun Tzu would be proud. It's textbook intimidation of "collaborators".