PAKISTAN: KARACHI: FOUR US OIL EXECUTIVES SHOT DEAD: UPDATE

Описание: (12 Nov 1997) English/Nat

Four American oil executives and their Pakistani driver were shot dead on Wednesday as they drove through the city of Karachi.

According to police and witnesses, two gunmen pulled up behind the Americans and opened fire, forcing the car to stop.

The assailants walked up to the car and fired more than a dozen bullets through the car's windows, checked to see that the occupants were dead, before making their getaway.

Police suspect the attack was linked to Monday's conviction - in an American court - of a Pakistani man accused of killing two C-I-A workers in Virginia in 1993.

The car which the four Americans and the Pakistani were gunned down in was put on show by the Pakistani authorities.

Details of the shooting however are sketchy.

Police reports say gunmen in another car fired at the vehicle from behind, forcing it off the road, and then sprayed bullets at the stationary target.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the shootings come only two days after a Pakistani man, Mir Aimal Kasi, was convicted of killing two C-I-A employees outside Washington.

The U-S State Department had warned Americans on Tuesday to be on their guard for possible reprisal attacks after the conviction.

Karachi police authorities say they have put together a description of the men and have launched an extensive manhunt.

Eye witnesses described the scene.

SOUNDBITE: (Urdu)
"We saw a red car. Five men got out. They fired at this vehicle and drove away."
SUPER CAPTION: Eye Witness

The shooting is being linked by police to a Pakistani man recently convicted of murdering two Central Intelligence Agency workers in the U-S four years ago.

On Monday Mir Aimal Kasi was found guilty on all 10 counts in the shooting on January 25, 1993 outside Washington that left three others injured.

At his trial, prosecutors argued that Kasi was out to avenge U-S interference in Muslim countries and American actions during the Gulf War.

The sentencing phase in that case is still going on - and Kasi could yet face the death penalty for the remaining murder.

Defence lawyers argue that Kasi suffers from mental illness and therefore should be spared an execution.

The victims of the Wednesday's shooting were taken to Karachi's Aga Khan hospital where they were confirmed dead on arrival.

The bodies of the men, all in their 40s, are to be flown home to Houston on Thursday.

The slain Americans were identified by their company as: Ephraim Egbu, senior auditor; Joel Enlow, manager of audit projects; Larry Jennings, audit manager; and Tracy Ritchie, senior audit supervisor.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"At around quarter to nine, five bodies arrived in the hospital. They had all been shot by a gun and they were dead. Four of them apparently were Americans and one of them was Pakistani. After the deaths had been confirmed the relevant authorities were informed and the bodies were taken away by the authorities."
SUPER CAPTION: Dr Raffid, Aga Khan Morgue

Today's killings are only the latest anti-American violence in Pakistan and in Karachi, a port city of 14 (m) million people, wracked by ethnic and religious violence.

In March 1995, gunmen shot and killed two U-S government employees who were heading to work at the U-S consulate in Karachi.

Union Texas is the biggest international oil company operating in the country.

The company says that evacuating its foreign staff remains an option, although no final decision has been taken.

A company representative gave his reaction to the loss of his colleagues.

SOUNDBITE: (English)



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