Italian priest attacked in Bangladesh, in critical condition

Three men fired shots at an Italian priest as he rode his bicycle to church in northern Bangladesh, leaving him in critical condition amid a recent surge in militant violence. The three assailants were on a motorbike when they attacked Piero Arolari in the town of Dinajpur, police officer Abul Hasan said.

They fled after the attack. The 57-year-old priest, who also is a doctor at St. Vincent hospital, was hit in the neck by a bullet, reported media from Bangladesh. After undergoing surgery at a local hospital, he was taken by helicopter to Dhaka, the capital, in critical condition, AsiaNews said.

It said several Protestant pastors in Dhaka have received death threats from Islamic extremists in recent days.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Arolari has lived in Dinajpur for 35 years, treating poor people from the area, said local police chief Ruhul Amin. The town is 415 kilometers (260 miles) north of Dhaka.