Pakistan confirmed Monday that a Chinese couple abducted at gunpoint has been killed, three days after Islamic State militants claimed the killing and sent a video to local journalists purporting to show their bodies. IS claimed it killed the couple last week after Pakistan said it had prevented the group from establishing a stronghold. Pakistan has sought to downplay the group's presence, saying local militants are merely acting in its name. The interior minister said the Chinese couple had entered Pakistan on business visas but began "preaching" after they arrived in Quetta, without elaborating. China, a longtime ally of Pakistan, is investing billions of dollars in projects collectively known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Source: Fox News June 12, 2017 13:53 UTC