WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday that those fighting terrorism in Pakistan were doing so for a better future for the country.

He made these remarks while condoling the death of two Pakistani employees of the US Consulate in Peshawar who were killed during a drug eradication mission in Fata.

Their death “is a testimony to the courage and commitment shown by both Americans and Pakistanis who struggle to combat the scourge of terrorism” in Pakistan.

Such people were struggling to “build a more stable, secure, and prosperous future for Pakistan,” he added.

Secretary Kerry said the two consulate staffers and some Pakistani soldiers were “brutally murdered” in an attack against Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) convoy in Ambar tehsil, Mohmand Agency.

“This senseless attack is a compelling reminder of the risk taken every day by our diplomats and the local staff around the world who make diplomacy possible,” he said.

Secretary Kerry also offered US assistance to the government in investigating the incident and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

“The Department of State holds in the highest regard all our host country colleagues who serve in our missions around the world,” he said.

Mr Kerry told a gathering at the State Department on Tuesday that he awakened to the news that the pair were killed, along with an unknown number of Pakistani soldiers, when an improvised explosive device detonated during the effort to eradicate narcotics fields. Mr Kerry said the Pakistani troops were guarding the mission.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2016