6 die in US aid group office attack in Northwest Pakistan

At least six people including two women were killed when militants armed with guns and grenades stormed the offices of a US-based Christian charity in Pakistan on Wednesday.

The gunmen seized the World Vision building near the town of Oghi in the Mansehra district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

All of the six persons killed including two women workers of World Vision were Pakistanis.

According to local police and the staff of the World Vision, up to 15 gunmen arrived in pick-up vehicles and began firing on the aid workers.

They said the militants dragged the staff to a room and fired at them.

Police claimed that they have reached the area and chased the militants but the later escaped in the mountains after exchanging fire with the police.

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.

World Vision's website describes the group as “a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization” founded by a US priest.

It says the aid group is “inspired by our Christian values”, but stresses that the organization does not proselytize or make aid conditional on a person's faith.

The organization has been operating in the area since October 2005, when aid workers reached the northwest after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless.

But many charities have since left the area, as militant violence has soared. In February 2008, four aid workers with British-based group Plan International were killed in a similar gun and grenade attack in Mansehra town.

- Asian Tribune -