Gunmen kill 9 tourists at Pakistan mountain camp

  • 11 years ago
Soldiers in northern Pakistan carry makeshift coffins containing the bodies of 9 foreign tourists killed by suspected militants.

Police said 15 gunmen stormed a trekking camp in the remote northern city of Gilgit, killing the nine foreigners and a Pakistani guide.

A Chinese climber managed to escape the shootout alive.

The Pakistani branch of the Taliban and a smaller militant group both claimed responsibility for the attack -- the first to target tourists in the province, which is famous for its natural beauty and relative safety.

The dead include five Ukrainians, three Chinese and a Russian, who were resting at a resort camp near the base of one of the world's tallest mountains.

Pakistan's Interior Minister said the military is working with local authorities to secure the area.

The shootings follow a series of deadly bombings across the country in the past week and pose a new threat to newly elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

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