New Zealand mosque massacre: Pakistani man who died was trying to overpower attacker

Islamabad, Mar 16: Two Pakistani nationals were killed in the terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand and one of them died while he was attempting to stop the shooter during the attack, according to a media report.

Naeem Rashid, succumbed to his wounds while under treatment following the attack and was identified as the individual who rushed at the right-wing terrorist attacking the mosque in Christchurch city, the Express Tribune reported.

Rashid, hailing from Abbottabad, received bullet wounds as he tried to overpower the shooter as he entered one of the mosques in Christchurch, the daily said. His son, Talha Rashid also lost his life in the same attack that left at least 49 dead and many others wounded.

A number of other Pakistan citizens were also present in the mosques during the time of the attack. Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal on Saturday released a list of nine Pakistani citizens missing after the mosque attacks. The Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan's Mission in New Zealand is trying to ascertain further details. Earlier the FO had said that four Pakistani nationals were injured, while five were still missing after the horrific terrorist attacks.

Australia-born, 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant, live-streamed footage of himself going room-to-room, victim to victim, shooting the wounded from close range as they struggled to crawl away. He also published a racist 'manifesto' on social media before the attack, featuring conspiracy theories about Europeans being "displaced" by immigrants and details of two years of preparation and radicalisation leading up to the shootings. His two targets were the Masjid al Noor mosque, where 41 people died, and a second, smaller mosque in the suburb of Linwood, where seven more died.

The remaining victim succumbed in hospital. The survivors included 17 members of Bangladesh's cricket team, whose game against New Zealand on Saturday has been cancelled, and a Palestinian man who fled for his life after seeing someone being shot in the head.

The attack has shocked New Zealanders, who are used to seeing around 50 murders a year in the entire country of 4.8 million and pride themselves on living in a secure and welcoming place. Police warned Muslims all over the country not to visit mosques “anywhere in New Zealand” in the wake of the Christchurch attacks.

PTI