Arrest In Pakistan Climber Killings

Pakistan's Nanga Parbat, the site of the brutal murders of foreign climbers (file photo)

Pakistani police say they have arrested an alleged mastermind of an attack that killed 10 foreign climbers in June in the Himalayas.

Police in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region on September 5 identified the suspect as Qaribullah aka Hasan, a former commander of the Pakistani Taliban.

Gunmen stormed a base camp at the foot of Nanga Parbat -- Pakistan’s second-highest peak – on June 23, shooting dead the climbers and a Pakistani guide. The victims were identified as an American with dual Chinese citizenship, three Ukrainians, two Slovaks, two others from China, a Lithuanian, and a Nepalese.

The Pakistani Taliban and the Jundullah extremist group claimed responsibility. Police said Qaribullah is also accused of killing three officials investigating the attack.

Based on reporting by AFP and Tribune.com.pk