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| India-Pakistan |
| Sri Lanka's cricketers shot and wounded as bus attacked in Lahore. Pakistan |
| 2009-03-03 |
| UNIDENTIFIED gunmen attacked the bus taking the Sri Lankan cricket squad and its police escort to a cricket stadium in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore today, according to witnesses and cricket officials. Sri Lankan media, quoting the sports minister, said four players received minor injuries in the attack - Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavithana. Pakistan television channels news channels said four people were killed. A witness said he believed two police commandos were killed along with a regular policeman and a traffic warden. Shopkeeper Ahmed Ali said the two police commandos had been driving behind the team bus when they were hit. "It was a very heavy firing and I heard at least two explosions at the time," said a witness who had been on his way to cover the test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pakistan only invited the Sri Lanka team to tour after India's team pulled out with security concerns following the militant attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai in November. |
| Posted by:phil_b |
| #29 Gaddafi Stadium ... near Liberty market Made my day. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-03-03 23:48 |
| #28 This was caused by Bush's foreign policy. I disagree. It must have been his |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2009-03-03 19:14 |
| #27 Nuke the place back into the stone age. |
| Posted by: Dave UK 2009-03-03 18:15 |
| #26 Knowing a lot about cricket and some about Pakistan, it would not surprise me that someone was covering his bets on the game:) Speaking as someone who occasionally has a flutter on cricket games, I doubt it - RPGs are a little over the top even for Pakistani bookmakers. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2009-03-03 17:28 |
| #25 ...and round up the usual suspects. Mar 03, Lahore: Pakistani police have arrested five people today in connection with the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore. A Pakistani security official confirmed the arrests saying that police detained five people believed to have information about the attackers and declined to give further details on the investigation. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-03-03 17:01 |
| #24 tu3031 asked: When do the Pakistanis come out to say this has nothing to do with Pakistan? The answer, at about 4:00pm Eastern time: A former Pakistani spy chief with Islamist sympathies speculated that the attack could have been carried out by Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebels backed by Indian intelligence as a payback for what happened in Mumbai. "It's all too obvious that it is the handiwork of the Indian intelligence," retired general Hamid Gul said. Hey, Hamid. Howz it hanging? And why haven't you hung, yet? |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-03-03 16:38 |
| #23 The country's largest and wealthiest province was plunged into turmoil last week after its most popular politician, opposition leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was barred from holding elected office by the Supreme Court in a controversial ruling. The decision sparked angry protests across the province and opened up a major rift with the government. Considering who's backing Sharif, this really isn't surprising. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2009-03-03 16:35 |
| #22 perhaps if we sealed Pakland off, like a petri dish? And don't forget Pasteur's admonition: "If you want to avoid a lot of the sh*t hitting the fan, keep your cultures separate" |
| Posted by: tipper 2009-03-03 14:24 |
| #21 Reasonably decent summary and analysis at Time. Bonus question: Cricket legend Imran Khan is astonished they all got away. Is it really so astonishing? Of course, the answer to that is a stain on the honour of the Land of the Pure and must be avanged... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-03-03 13:26 |
| #20 This was caused by Bush's foreign policy. |
| Posted by: Sninemble Jones9960 2009-03-03 13:19 |
| #19 Update: Lucky truncheon time at the Pak Coppe Shoppe PAKISTANI police were interrogating five people today in connection with a deadly ambush on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, security officials said. "We have detained five people for questioning following the attack," senior local police officer Amjad Saleemi said. A security official confirmed the arrests. "Police detained five people who they believe may have information about the attackers," the official said on condition of anonymity. Khaled Farooq, chief of police in Punjab province, said an investigation had been launched but declined to give any details. "I have set up a very high-powered investigation team. An experienced officer is heading the team. God willing, we will give you good results," he told a news conference. "I will not divulge anything prematurely," he said. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-03-03 13:16 |
| #18 Knowing a lot about cricket and some about Pakistan, it would not surprise me that someone was covering his bets on the game:) |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2009-03-03 12:48 |
| #17 perhaps if we sealed Pakland off, like a petri dish? Speaking as your microbiology advisor, Petri dishes are best sterilized before use. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-03-03 11:50 |
| #16 Coulda been the Taliban doing a contract job for the Tigers. No international team will go to Pakistan for the next 20 years. You couldn't pay me enough money to visit Pakistan. The only visitors to that hell hole should be flying some of OP's Buffaloes. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-03-03 11:38 |
| #15 When do the Pakistanis come out to say this has nothing to do with Pakistan? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-03-03 09:49 |
| #14 At least one of the Twitter comments blamed the Heathen Hindoos, saying that weapons retrieved at the scene were made in India. How convenient: weapons dropped by the perfidious bad guyz, and they didn't bother acquiring them locally, where you can't walk a block without tripping over weaponry. And they disguised themselves as Pashtoons. As someone once said in another context: "Wotta country!" |
| Posted by: Fred 2009-03-03 09:28 |
| #13 From a story at MSNBC: Lahore police chief Rehman said "between 12 and 14 men" took part in the assault and they resembled Pashtuns, the ethnic group that hails from close to the Afghan border, the stronghold of al-Qaida and the Taliban. He said officers were hunting them down. And: Authorities will also consider possible links to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger separatist rebels who are being badly hit in a military offensive at home, though Sri Lankan military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara says authorities there did not believe the group was responsible. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-03-03 09:18 |
| #12 The Sri Lankans were on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium Says it all about this fucked up country which along with Iran must be Target central in WOT!!! |
| Posted by: Paul2 2009-03-03 07:11 |
| #11 #7 Muzzie conspiracy theorists say Tamil Tigers are behind it. That whole sentence could keep the eastern world version of Michael Moore going for decades .. |
| Posted by: Lonzo Glesh1593 2009-03-03 07:01 |
| #10 perhaps if we sealed Pakland off, like a petri dish? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-03-03 05:43 |
| #9 BBC is running the story with essentially the same details (of course Auntie has to use the word "gunmen" rather that terrorist but that's our batty Aunty Beeb). Of interest is this declaimer in their solicitation for comments: Were you at the game in Lahore? Did you witness the shooting? Tell us your thoughts by filling in the form below. Do not endanger yourself or others. Now why do you s'pose they felt it necessary to add that? |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-03-03 01:39 |
| #8 Some details of the attack: The Sri Lankans were on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium when their bus was attacked by five armed terrorists near Liberty market. Habibur Rehman, chief commissioner of police, said 12 masked terrorists fired at the Sri Lankan team bus. The gunmen shot at the wheels of the bus and also injured the driver. A grenade was also thrown at the bus but it missed. The others players injured are Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana. "The bus came under attack as we were driving to the stadium, the gunmen targeted the wheels of the bus first and then the bus," Mahela Jayawardene told Cricinfo. "We all dived to the floor to take cover. About five players have been injured and also Paul Farbrace [a member of the support staff], but most of the injuries appear to be minor at this stage and caused by debris." Sri Lanka's sports minister Gamini Lokuge said Farbrace and Samaraweera were hospitalised while the others have been discharged. "Mahela and the other three had very minor injuries and they have already reached their hotel," Lokuge said. The reserve umpire Ahsan Raza was also injured in the attack. Nadeem Ghauri, the TV umpire, who was traveling in a bus behind the Sri Lanka team bus said the firing continued for some time. Umpire Steve Davis, who was on the team bus, called the terrorist attack "terrible". "I'm lost for words," he said. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-03-03 01:30 |
| #7 Muzzie conspiracy theorists say Tamil Tigers are behind it. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2009-03-03 01:15 |
| #6 This is all getting a little tedious, no? Also infuriating. Is it possible to be bored and enraged at the same time? |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-03-03 01:10 |
| #5 Updates on twitter |
| Posted by: tipper 2009-03-03 00:56 |
| #4 Photo update |
| Posted by: tipper 2009-03-03 00:41 |
| #3 "No international team will go to Pakistan for the next 20 years." See? There is a silver lining in this cloud.... |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-03-03 00:15 |
| #2 For those of you not familiar with cricket, Sri Lankan is one of the top international teams. Sri Lanka was doing Pakistan a big favour by touring Pakistan when the likes of India, England and Australia had refused and pulled out of matches due the terrorism risk. No international team will go to Pakistan for the next 20 years. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2009-03-03 00:13 |
| #1 Latest is 8 team members wounded. These people are famous names in the cricketing world. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2009-03-03 00:06 |