Byline: Gavin Madeley
POLICE in Pakistan have arrested more than a dozen suspects in the search for a Scots aid worker kidnapped by gunmen in a war-torn region of the country.
Red Cross worker Khalil Dale, who changed his named from Kenneth when he converted to the Muslim faith, was dragged from his marked vehicle close to his home in the volatile Baluchistan province earlier this week.
The 60-year-old field nurse, who was working as a health programme manager with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was bundled into a Landcruiser-type vehicle in the main town of Quetta by the armed gang, who then drove off.
It is believed Mr Dale, who has been awarded an MBE for his humanitarian work in war zones around the world, had been travelling back from a visit to a local school with a Pakistani doctor and driver, but they were not seized.
That has raised fears that Mr Dale, originally from Dumfries, has been taken by a criminal gang seeking a ransom, although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the abduction.
A senior police official in Quetta confirmed the arrests yesterday, adding: 'There are at least 72 criminal groups operating in this area. Several of them are pro-Taliban and active in Quetta and its surrounding areas.
'We believe one of these groups is involved in the kidnapping of Mr Dale. We are still working to establish which one. The investigation is still in its initial stage and we do not want to disclose too much.' However, he added: 'Over a dozen suspects have been arrested so far from different locations in Quetta. Among them, several of those arrested could prove very valuable to us as they may break at any stage and provide us with a proper line of inquiry that could lead to the recovery of Mr Dale.' One intelligence source said: 'Mr Dale was kidnapped for ransom.
No other motive is behind his kidnapping.' ICRC spokesman Christian Cardon said his colleagues were 'very concerned' for Mr Dale's welfare and the aid agency has called for his 'rapid and unconditional release'.
Mr Cardon added: 'Khalil was in a clearly marked vehicle with an ICRC emblem. Several armed gunmen hijacked him.
'The ICRC currently has no indication as to the abductors' identities or motives. Mr Dale's family was informed immediately. Despite the incident, the ICRC will be continuing its humanitarian work in Pakistan.
'The ICRC is calling for the rapid and unconditional release of its kidnapped staff member.' Mr Dale, who has been based in Quetta for 11 months, has spent more than 25 years working in some of the world's toughest disaster zones and has previously been robbed at gunpoint, strafed by machine-gun and threatened by a man wielding a Kalashnikov rifle.
The slightly-built bachelor, who is believed to have become engaged recently to an Australian aid worker, began his career as a casualty nurse at Dumfries Infirmary but later devoted his life to aid work, spending time in Iran, Libya, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Afghanistan, earning him an MBE in 1994.
He helped set up health posts across Somalia and, in 1997, was appointed Red Cross co-ordinator for the African continent for a year.
Fluent in Arabic and Swahili, Mr Dale once said: 'I like the peace and quiet of Dumfries and Galloway but I get restless and enjoy a challenge.' He added that the thought of danger did not worry him, saying: 'I just get on with the job and I believe in destiny. But I'll put it this way - I've made my will.' This is not the first time that foreigners have been kidnapped from Baluchistan, Pakistan's biggest but poorest province, where Baluch separatist militants are fighting a protracted insurgency for more autonomy and control over the area's natural resources.
Pro-Taliban militants are also very active in the province, which shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
Four health workers, including two doctors, were kidnapped by militants last week from the Pishin area of Baluchistan, near Quetta. They were freed after a shoot-out between police and their kidnappers In 2009, an American working for the United Nations refugee agency in the city was abducted and held for two months.
The Foreign Office, which is urgently investigating Mr Dale's abduction, currently advises against 'all but essential' travel to Quetta. Advice on its website warns of a 'heightened risk from kidnapping and militant activity' in much of Baluchistan.
g.madeley@dailymail.co.uk
CAPTION(S):
Stop and search: Uniformed Pakistani police at the scene of the abduction
In the danger zone: Khalil Dale, who was snatched by gunmen
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий