Incident Summary:

10/09/2007: Two Chinese engineers working on the Gomalzam dam project in South Waziristan were kidnapped by Afghan immigrants in a region known to contain many Al-Qaida affiliated fighters.

GTD ID:
200410090005

When:
2004-10-09

Country:
Pakistan

Region:
South Asia

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

North-West Frontier Province

City:
Near Dera Ismail Khan

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Hostage Taking (Kidnapping)
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Business
Name of Entity Water and Hydropower Construction Co.
Specific Description Chinese engineers of the Chinese State-owned Water and Hydropower Construction Co.
Nationality of Target China
Additional Information
Hostages Yes
Number of Hostages 2
US Hostages 0
Outcome Hostage(s) released by perpetrators
Ransom No
Property Damage No
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Firearms Automatic Weapon
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?No
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Additional Information The Gomalzam Dam is a 203 million dollar project that has between 70 and 80 Chinese engineers working on it. During the resolution of the hostage crisis, a tribal chieftan agreed to separately guard both the kidnapped and the kidnappers. The kidnappers had been holed up in a cave surrounded by Pakistani security forces. Though Afghan immigrants conducted the kidnapping, it is believed that foreign elements were behind it.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Unknown No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators 5
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 0 Fatalities / 0 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 0
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured 0
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
“Two Chinese engineers kidnapped in Pakistani tribal region: minister,” Agence France Presse, October 9, 2004.
Munir Ahmad, “Two Chinese engineers, at least one Pakistani guard kidnapped in Pakistan tribal region,” The Associated Press, October 9, 2004.
“Two Chinese engineers reported kidnapped in Pakistan,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur, October 9, 2004.