Foreign journalists injured in failed kidnap attempt

By Riaz Ahmad

PESHAWAR: Two foreign journalists were shot injured in Hyatabad Friday afternoon.

An Afghan and Japanese reporters, identified as Sami Yousafzai and Yotsukara Motoki respectively, who were on their way back from Shah Kas, Khyber Agency were intercepted by four armed men who tried to abduct them. The local driver of the journalists, however, sped the vehicle on which the armed men opened fire at them, injuring all the three.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper said its reporter, Yotsukara Motoki and his friend, a correspondent of The News Line magazine, who were preparing a report on the Taliban militants in Khyber Agency, were shot.

Police said that the incident did not take place in the settled part of the district and the journalists had gone to Khyber Agency to meet militants who had abducted several trucks bound for Kabul a week earlier.

The Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan's most influential newspapers, said that a group of four people approached the car and one shot right through the door.

It said its correspondent, Motoki, 32, received first aid at Hyatabad Medical Complex and was being shifted to Islamabad for treatment.

"They were on the way to report on people associated with Taliban when they were attacked. There was no clear picture of who the culprits are," an Asahi spokesman said in Tokyo.

Neither journalist's life was at risk, he said.

Dr Shamshad in HMC told the Statesman that both the journalists were in stable condition and the Japanese had been hit in right leg while the Afghan reporter had been hit on chest and arms who was shifted to cardiothorasic ward in LRH for further treatment.

Both journalists and their driver, identified as Nadeem were rushed to HMC from where Sami Yousafzai was shifted to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).

Police said they had gone into the tribal belt without permission and conducted some interviews with militants before they were attacked.