Several international media outlets have reported that two Slovaks might be among a group of nine mountaineers killed by the Taliban on the night between June 22 and 23 in northern Pakistan. The information was brought by Ukrainian television Svit24, referring to the head of the Ukrainian Federation of Mountaineering and Rock-climbing, Gennady Kopejka, as well as including the website International Nanga Parbat Expedition 2013 and AP newswire. The media identified the men as Peter Šperka and Anton Dobeš, the TASR newswire reported.
Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry has neither confirmed nor denied the information.
“At the moment we have only unofficial information, which differs,” said ministry spokesperson Boris Gandel, as quoted by TASR on June 23. He added that the Slovak consul in Tehran is working intensively on the case, and that they will present the official information on June 24.
In addition to the Slovaks, the Taliban rebels killed three Ukrainians, two Chinese and one American, as well as their Pakistani guide, in their camp under the Nanga Parbat Mountain. According to a spokesperson for the Taliban, the attack was done in revenge for the killing of the second highest commander of its Pakistani faction, Wali-ur-Rehman, TASR wrote.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
