This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7876565.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 3 | Version 4 |
---|---|
Pakistan Taleban 'kill hostage' | Pakistan Taleban 'kill hostage' |
(1 day later) | |
Taleban militants in Pakistan say they have killed a Polish engineer kidnapped in September and have released a video purporting to show his death. | |
A Taleban spokesman said Piotr Stanczak had been killed after a deadline expired for the Pakistani government to free captured militants. | |
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Warsaw had received "informal confirmation" of the man's death. | |
Pakistani security officials said they could not confirm the Taleban claim. | Pakistani security officials said they could not confirm the Taleban claim. |
A Taleban spokesman said Mr Stanczak had been beheaded after a deadline expired on Friday for the release of a number of militants in government hands. | |
"We have killed the man after authorities refused to release our colleagues," the spokesman, calling himself Mohammed, told Reuters news agency. | |
News agencies subsequently received copies of a graphic video apparently showing a man being beheaded. | |
Pakistani security officials said the Taleban wanted money for the return of Mr Stanczak's body. | |
Growing insurgency | Growing insurgency |
He was kidnapped by gunmen on 28 September while visiting one of his company's sites at Attock in north-west Pakistan, about 70km (45 miles) west of the capital, Islamabad. | |
Mr Stanczak's company, Geofizyka Krakow, was doing surveying work for a Pakistani oil company. | Mr Stanczak's company, Geofizyka Krakow, was doing surveying work for a Pakistani oil company. |
His Pakistani driver, bodyguard and translator were killed in the attack. | His Pakistani driver, bodyguard and translator were killed in the attack. |
The Pakistani government had been in negotiations with the Taleban for Mr Stanczak's release. | The Pakistani government had been in negotiations with the Taleban for Mr Stanczak's release. |
"From Pakistan we have an informal confirmation that this tragedy in fact took place," Mr Tusk told Poland's TVN24 news channel. | "From Pakistan we have an informal confirmation that this tragedy in fact took place," Mr Tusk told Poland's TVN24 news channel. |
"We have used all political, operational, logistical means to prevent this tragedy," he said. | "We have used all political, operational, logistical means to prevent this tragedy," he said. |
Piotr Adamkiewicz, a spokesman at the Polish embassy in Islamabad, said the mission had seen some images from the video. | |
"We are thinking that this is [Mr Stanczak] but we have to wait to receive the full tape," he told the Associated Press news agency. | |
Pakistan has been fighting a growing insurgency by Taleban militants in its north-west region bordering Afghanistan. | Pakistan has been fighting a growing insurgency by Taleban militants in its north-west region bordering Afghanistan. |
A number of foreigners have been kidnapped, including Afghan and Iranian diplomats and two Chinese engineers (one of whom later escaped). | |
An American official with the UN refugee agency based in Quetta, in western Pakistan, was kidnapped last week. |