LAHORE: Pakistani authorities have identified the people responsible for this week’s attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team, a senior government official said yesterday.
The ambush on the team and its police escorts as they drove to the main stadium in Lahore on Tuesday left seven Pakistanis dead.
Police yesterday issued sketches of four of the 12 gunmen who attacked the team and their escorts with AK-47 rifles, hand grenades and a rocket-propelled grenade. City police inspector Asif Rashid said the sketches of the gunmen, who appeared to be 25 to 30 years old, were made from descriptions provided by a motorist and rickshaw driver.
Later, Punjab Gov. Salman Taseer said at a news conference: “We have identified the people who did the operation. We have made arrests. We are chasing them, we have rounded up people.” He declined to elaborate, saying: “I am going to give you details in the next few days.”
Six Sri Lankan players were wounded along with two team officials, including a British assistant coach, in the attack. They flew back to Colombo along with the rest of their party on Tuesday.
Two of the injured players were recovering yesterday after surgery in Colombo. Tharanga Paranavitana, who had a bullet lodged in his chest, and Thilan Samaraweera, who had shrapnel in his right leg, underwent surgery at a private hospital.
“They will need around six weeks to completely recover from surgery,” Geethanjana Mendis, director general of the Sports Ministry’s medical unit, said.
There has been much angry finger-pointing over the failure of the police to protect the team, despite a warning about just such an attack. Gov. Taseer said a report on the team’s security would be sent to the government today.
ICC match referee Chris Broad said Wednesday that he and other match officials had been left like “sitting ducks” when the attack began. The Pakistan Cricket Board said it would lodge a protest with the International Cricket Council over Broad’s remarks.
