Pakistan condemns killing of its pilgrims in Iraq

PAKISTAN: Pakistan Saturday condemned the killing of a number of its pilgrims traveling to a Shiite holy shrine at Karbala in Iraq.

"We strongly condemn this terrorist act and the president and the prime minister have condoled the deaths of Pakistani pilgrims," foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told AFP.The ministry said it was ascertaining the details of the attack and arranging the return of survivors.

Iraqi officials said insurgents dragged a group of South Asian pilgrims off a bus crossing the desert towards the Shiite holy city of Karbala and shot dead 11 Pakistani and three Indian men.

"They were coming in a big bus with children and women. The attackers freed the women and children and shot dead the men, execution-style," Iraqi interior ministry spokesman Brigadier General Abdul Karim Khalaf said.

Aslam said the security situation in Iraq was difficult and that "we have advised Pakistanis to avoid traveling to Iraq."

ISLAMABAD, Sunday, AFP