Chinese teachers kidnapped by Daesh militants are likely dead

beijing — Pakistan has told China that two Chinese teachers kidnapped by Daesh militants in Pakistan are likely dead, a foreign ministry spokeswoman in Beijing said on Friday, adding the government was trying to get more details.

Daesh has claimed that its fighters killed the two teachers, who were kidnapped on May 24 in Balochistan, where China is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects. The two, a man and a woman, were kidnapped in Quetta, capital of Balochistan, by armed men pretending to be policemen.

Pakistan had gone all out in its rescue efforts and had promised to continue to do its utmost to protect Chinese citizens

Hua Chunying, Chinese official

“According to the most recent information Pakistan has provided, these two kidnapped Chinese citizens have most probably already been murdered,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

China is trying to verify this information and is also ascertaining details about the victims, she added.

“China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns all forms of terrorism, and supports Pakistan’s efforts to fight terrorism and maintain domestic security and stability,” Hua said.

Pakistan had gone all out in its rescue efforts and had promised to continue to do its utmost to protect Chinese citizens, she added.

The killing of the teachers was claimed by Daesh’s Amaq news agency on Thursday. —