wfn.org | (Revised) Gunmen invade mission school in Pakistan

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #7378 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

09-August-2002
02282

Gunmen invade mission school in Pakistan

Students survive attack that kills six; assailants may be dead

by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE - Six persons were killed Aug. 5 when masked gunmen forced their way onto the campus of Murree Christian School in Pakistan and opened fire.

No students were among the casualties, which included two security guards, a cook, a receptionist a carpenter and a bystander. Three others were wounded, none seriously. 

The attackers escaped after their 15-20 minute siege, but police are investigating the possibility that three Pakistanis who blew themselves up after being stopped at a government checkpoint at Dheerkot, about 25 miles from Murree, on Aug. 6 were the assailants. One of the three told police at the checkpoint that "we are the ones who killed the nonbelievers at Murree." Descriptions of the three assailants and the three who killed themselves near the checkpoint nearly matched.

Murree's School administrators and board of directors have closed the school until at least Aug. 12.	

Murree Christian School is a boarding school which sits on property owned by the PC(USA)in the Himalayan foothills. It was established in 1956 to provide western-style education primarily for the children of Christian missionaries serving in the region. Two children of Presbyterian Church (USA) missionaries are among the 150 children ages kindergarten through 12th grade currently enrolled at the school. 

Worldwide Ministries Division staff here are in regular contact with PC(USA) personnel and with the school and are evaluating the situation.

(Information for this story furnished by Murree Christian School, Bill Simmons of the WMD staff and the Religion News Service.)
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