KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand principal at the centre of a suspected kidnapping attempt in Pakistan says he has a seriously injured guard to thank for saving his life.
A group of armed militants tried to storm Stephen Rykers' school in the town of Bannu on Sunday night but only made it as far as climbing over the top of the fence before the guard shot one of them dead.
As the dead militant, who had several grenades strapped to his body, fell to the ground the others fired at the guard before they ran off, leaving him seriously injured.
Mr Rykers contacted relatives in New Zealand and in Australia, on Sunday after the shooting but concern was raised on Tuesday that he had gone into hiding after relatives failed to make further contact with him.
That fear gave way to relief yesterday when his Australian-based father, Neville Rykers, made contact.
"He's fine. He's actually in Peshawar pursuing medical help for his guard who was shot and badly injured. He will be there for the next two or three day while the guard - hopefully - recovers."
Pakistani police believe the raid was a targeted kidnapping attempt on the principal. That is based on the fact that the militants demanded to see the principal as they climbed over the wall, and started shooting when the guard refused to allow them access to Mr Rykers.
Mr Rykers snr said his son still did not know if it was a kidnapping attempt or a random act of violence because of the area his school is in - about 20km from the Afghan border.
"Stephen said he didn't know what it was all about. It could have been just one of those things, it could have been the Taleban, it could have been the possibility of trying to abduct him for ransom because he stands out in the community."
Whatever the reason, Mr Rykers believes the guard saved his life.
"He [Stephen] was certainly there and when they came over the wall he was the only one apart from the guard in the building.
"He said that the guard saved his life."
While Mr Rykers snr said he couldn't speak for his son he assumed he would probably go back to his school, the Muslim Public School Surrani, and carry on as he had done for the past 15 years.
