Sona Sherpa, 36, of Cheskam VDC of Solukhumbu was killed along with Ukrainians, Chinese and two Pakistani nationals when Taliban gunmen stormed into tents at the base camp of Nanga Parbat in Gilgit-Baltistan, according to Nepal´s Ambassador to Pakistan Bharat Raj Poudyal. They were planning to climb Nanga Parbat, the world´s ninth highest mountain. [break]
Poudyal said eight other Nepalis survived as they were climbing up to make the route for mountaineering. “We are told that the gunmen first asked the group to give whatever amount of money they had in their possession. Once they gave them the money, the gunmen indiscriminately opened fire and killed all of them at around 10:30 pm Saturday,” the envoy told Republica over phone.
Sherpa was a member of the 14-member expedition team arranged by Kathmandu-based Summit and Trek Expedition. The team included nine Nepali nationals and five foreigners.
The Nepali embassy in Islamabad in coordination with Pakistani authorities had actively pursued to bring the dead body to Islamabad and to provide necessary help to other Nepali mountaineers since early Sunday morning. “The dead body has now been brought to Islamabad and has been sent for postmortem. It will be repatriated after the legal formalities are completed,” the envoy said.
As a Nepali mountaineer in the group accompanied the dead when it was ferried to Islamabad Sunday, there are still seven other Nepalese at the base camp with a few dozen other foreigners. “Pakistani authorities have provided them with necessary security. They will be brought to Islamabad on Monday if weather permits,” the envoy informed.
Nanga Parbat, which stands at 8,126m (26,660ft), is popular with trekkers and mountaineers. A spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban told BBC that the attack was in retaliation for the killing of its second-in-command Waliur Rehman, who died in a suspected US drone strike in May.
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