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| Lahore hostage drama ends with death, arrest of all terrorists | | 30 cops, suicide bombers killed in day-long operation | | AGENCIES
LAHORE, MARCH 30: The commandos were seen celebrating at the rooftop of the training centre after the assailants surrendered and freed the hostages as the death toll in the deadly strike rose to 20 while the number of injured has been pegged at close to 150.
Media reports said that two of the attackers blew themselves up while the two others were killed by the Army snipers.
Earlier, a gunman was captured by the locals and handed over to the security forces when he ventured in front of the training centre building to lob a grenade at a helicopter. Two grenades and a communication device were recovered from the attacker and he has been taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
A spokesman for the forces had said that they were willing to try whatever approach was needed to bring the siege to an end, including negotiating with the attackers.
The spokesperson said that there was no confirmation of the number of people killed in the explosion.
The gunmen had taken nearly 500 policemen hostage at gunpoint.
Bodies of policemen were strewn on the ground and more casualties were feared. Dozens of policemen were also seen scaling a wall to escape from within the centre. Most of the casualties occurred near the gate of the centre.
Police used armoured vehicles to bring the dead and injured out of the centre after rescue workers were unable to approach them because of the firing.
The Pakistan Rangers and the elite forces had entered the training centre and the encounter between the terrorists, who are holed up inside a mosque within the police academy, and the security forces is continuing as of now.
Police also fired teargas at the attackers as helicopters were used for aerial surveillance.
“A group of 50 personnel from the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers were involved in the operation against the terrorists,” Lahore Police DIG (Investigation), Mumtaz Sukhera.
He also said that nearly 500 security personnel have been deployed to neutralise the attackers, who are believed to be carrying massive amounts of arms and ammunition. On the number of policemen inside the training centre, he said, “850 recruits were present in the centre at the time of the attack.”
Talking to the reporters, Inspector General of Police (IG), Punjab, put the number of attackers “over 20-25” and said that the attackers were wearing police uniforms adding that air surveillance has been ordered around the training centre. Elaborating on the security arrangements, the IG said that Lahore has been placed on high alert.
Rescue workers said the injured policemen, some of them in a serious condition, were taken to three hospitals in Lahore.
Lahore police chief Haji Habibur Rehman told Pakistan's ARY news channel that at least six to seven attackers were believed to be involved in the shooting at the Manawan Police Training Center. Television footage showed several officers lying on the ground. Pakistan's stability is of paramount concern to the U.S., which is fighting a growing Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan more than seven years after the American-led invasion ousted the militant regime from power there.
U.S. officials have warned Pakistan that militants pose a threat to its existence, and have prevailed upon the Muslim nation to crack down on insurgents in its border areas. Al-Qaida and Taliban fighters are believed to hide out in Pakistan's northwest while planning attacks on U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. In unveiling a new war strategy for Afghanistan last week, President Barack Obama highlighted the important role Pakistan has to play, pledging to increase aid to the Country to help it stave off the militancy, while warning Pakistan not to expect a "blank check" without any accountability.
It was not immediately clear who might be behind Monday's attack, and no one claimed responsibility, but the ambush-style attack was reminiscent of the assault on the Sri Lankan team. The Sri Lankan attack included several features _ heavily armed, backpack-toting gunmen besieging a populated area _ that were hallmarks of last year's siege of Mumbai. India has blamed the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for that assault, and Pakistan has taken several of the outfit's alleged leaders into custody. Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is largely based in eastern Punjab province, of which Lahore is the capital, has denied involvement in either Mumbai or the cricket team attack. Several militant groups operate well beyond Pakistan's northwest. Some of them, including Lashkar-e-Taiba have their roots in the Kashmir dispute with India, and Pakistani spy agencies are believed to have helped set them up. |
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