Protesters hold placards to condemn al-Qaida involvement in the killing of 11 mountaineers, in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday. Fareed Khan / Associated Press

Climbing lover

The deaths of Yang and Rao were mourned by mountaineers at home.

Jin Feibao, a famous explorer based in Kunming, Yunnan province, said that Yang and Rao, both his longtime friends, deserve to be called heroes, as their faith and bravery to accomplish their dreams even at the price of their lives cannot be seen in everybody.

"They loved mountains truly and deeply," Jin said. "I knew Yang and we became friends with him in 2004 when we climbed the Muztagata Mountain together. His sense of professionalism and responsibility as a leader left a lasting impression on me."

Chen Siqi, a mountain climber in Zhejiang province and a friend of Rao, said he was astounded by the incident.

"The fact that they did not die in a mountaineering accident but by terrorists' gunfire only brings more grief," Chen said.

Rao had kept updating his Sina Weibo page since he arrived in Islamabad on May 13. On Saturday, he wrote his last sentence, giving advice to other climbing lovers.

"It usually takes five weeks to apply for a mountaineering license in Pakistan. We waited for two months before we got the license for the Nanga Parbat peak on the 20th," he wrote.

Experts warned individual travelers of the severe security conditions in Pakistan's remote areas, saying the killings will deliver a major blow to foreign trekking expeditions.

Ye Hailin, an expert on South Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the violent assault was not specifically targeted at Chinese people, but it is difficult for the Pakistan government to provide armed protection to small group of travelers without knowing their itineraries.

Junood ul-Hifsa, a new faction set up by the Pakistani Taliban to kill foreigners to avenge US drone strikes on Taliban and al-Qaida operatives, claimed responsibility for the attack, AFP reported.

Pakistani officials said on Monday that the bodies of 10 foreign tourists and a Pakistani guide have been identified.

The victims also included an American, three Ukrainians, two Slovaks, one Lithuanian and one Nepalese, they said, adding that all the victims' bodies have been transferred to Islamabad.