AN AMERICAN national was on Saturday kidnapped from his residence at about 3:30 am in Lahore. The act can further dent the already strained relationship between Pakistan and the United States but also raises a serious question about the safety of expatriates in the trouble torn country.

As per official reports, the 65 year old Jason Warner was kidnapped by some two dozen men as they barged into his residence armed with sophisticated weapons. They further stated that the men assaulted and inured Warner’s security personnel severely before kidnapping him.

Security was beefed up in the city following the incident while the DIG Police and CCPO of Lahore were seen taking down eye witnesses reports. They were accompanied by a large cache of security personnel who cordoned off the entire city, but it is anticipated that the abductors have already crossed the city limits.

The responsibility for the incident was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, which is associated with the Al-Qaeda. The same group was also responsible for the kidnapping of a European couple.