1 killed, 2 injured in firing at passenger plane in Pakistan

One female passenger was killed and two crew members injured when unknown gunmen opened fire at a passenger plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) during its landing at the airport of the country's northwestern city of Peshawar late on Tuesday, said a PIA official on Wednesday.

PIA spokesman Mashhood Tajwar said the attack took place when a PIA flight PK 756, coming from the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, was about to land at the Peshawar airport.

Initial investigation report showed that the attack occurred at about 11:30 p.m. local time and the plane was targeted while it was about five km away from the runway of the airport.

An AK-47 rifle was used to fire at the plane, according to the report.

The plane reportedly received 12 bullets on its bottom, tail and right side, however, the pilot had managed to land the plane at the airport safely, said Tajwar, adding that experts are examining the plane to assess the loss.

The plane attacked was an A310 and there were 178 passengers and 12 crew members aboard when it were attacked, said the PIA spokesman.

The killed woman is a foreigner, said Parvez Khattak, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

The nationality of the deceased is not known, but the chief minister said that her relatives in Peshawar had taken her body to home.

One steward received a bullet injury in his left foot and another steward received three bullets in his body, including one in head, said doctors with a military hospital in Peshawar, where the injured were admitted.

All the bullets in the bodies of the two injured have been removed and both of them are in stable condition, said the doctors.

A spokesman with Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority said the nature of the firing is still under investigation and it is too early to say whether it is an accidental firing or a terrorist attack.

He said the operation of the Peshawar airport has been resumed shortly after a temporary suspension.

A search operation is still going on in the surrounding areas of the airport, he said, adding that there are several residential areas near the airport.

So far no suspects have reportedly been arrested, nor any group has claimed responsibility for the attack.