US diplomat attacked in Peshawar, escapes unhurt

Gunmen opened fire on the car of a senior US diplomat in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday but she escaped unhurt, police and US officials said.

The diplomat, Lynne Tracy, was on her way to the US consulate in the city when a vehicle suddenly appeared and blocked the road, local police officer Arshad Khan said.

"A man in the intercepting Land Cruiser rolled down the window and opened fire with a Kalashnikov rifle, but the diplomat remained unhurt," he said, adding that Tracy was travelling in a bullet-proof vehicle.

The diplomat's driver quickly threw the car into reverse, hitting an auto rickshaw, he said. The attackers fled the scene, Khan said. The rickshaw driver suffered minor injuries.

Later, the US consulate issued a brief statement saying: "There was a security incident in Peshawar this morning involving a US consulate vehicle and three employees."

"There were no injuries and minimal damage to the vehicle. We are coordinating with Pakistani authorities investigating the incident," it said.

An official who requested anonymity said the US diplomat was accompanied by her driver and a security officer. Tracy is a top official at the US consulate in Peshawar, the capital of troubled North West Frontier Province, which has been plagued by militant violence.

Pakistan's foreign ministry condemned the incident in a statement and said "steps for enhanced security" had been taken. "The government is committed to ensuring all possible measures for the security of the diplomatic community," it said.