Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui has condemned a violent incident in which a group of Chinese citizens was attacked Sunday evening in the northwestern region of the country.

In a press release by the Chinese embassy in Islamabad early Monday, Luo requested for the Pakistani government "to investigate it, round up the culprits, properly handle the follow-up issues and take effective measures to protect all the Chinese in Pakistan."

Four Chinese citizens were attacked by unidentified gunmen at Peshawar, the capital city of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province, resulting in the death of three and serious injuries for the fourth, according to the Chinese embassy.

Local police officer Abdul Karim said that it was a robbery attempt.

But one witness said that the attackers, who had their faces covered, were shouting religious slogans when they opened fire on the Chinese nationals in a three-wheel auto-rickshaw factory at Khazana.

Mao Siwei, deputy chief of the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, has left for Peshawar with a few Chinese diplomats to deal with the issue, it said.

Earlier, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said that Pakistan condemned the killing of Chinese citizens in the country.

She added that the incident would not affect Sino-Pak friendship.?

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2007)