LAHORE: At least a dozen men ambushed a convoy carrying the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team with guns, grenades and rockets here yesterday, killing six policemen and two civilians, all Pakistanis. Seven Sri Lankan players, the assistant coach of the team and an umpire were injured. Their injuries were not life-threatening.
The convoy of buses was ambushed at a traffic roundabout 300 meters from Gaddafi Stadium where the players were headed for the third day’s play in the second cricket Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Police said there were at least 12 attackers, wearing the traditional shalwar-kameez and carrying backpacks who came to the scene in motor scooters, rickshaws and cars. They fired a rocket that missed the convoy, threw grenades, at least one of which did not explode, and opened fire from all sides. The six policemen killed were escorting the team.
The driver of the bus carrying the players did not stop before finding shelter in the stadium despite coming under intense fire. Star batsman Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavithana were treated in hospital, while captain Mahela Jayawardene, vice captain Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilina Thushara and Suranga Lokumal had minor injuries. Assistant coach Paul Farbrace, a British national, was also hurt. All the players, including the ones who received hospital treatment, later left for Colombo on a plane sent by the Sri Lankan government.
The attackers melted into the crowd and none was killed or captured, city police chief Haji Habibur Rehman said.
Police officer Amjad Saleemi said police have detained five people and were questioning them.
Khaled Farooq, chief of police in Punjab province, said an investigation has 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.
No group took responsibility for the attack. But Interior Ministry adviser Rehman Malik saw foreign hand in the carnage. “The same forces, which want to destabilize Pakistan, which abducted UNHCR official John Solecki, could be involved in today’s tragic incident,” he told reporters.
Malik said he did not want to name RAW (the Indian intelligence organization Research and Analysis Wing) at this juncture or speculate on the theory of a revenge attack for November’s Mumbai massacre. “We are a responsible nation. We will first investigate the whole case.”
But one thing is for sure, Malik said, they were foreigners and professionally trained.
Earlier, Punjab Gov. Salman Taseer said: “There is definitely foreign hand in the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team not only to defame Pakistan but halt its cultural activities.”
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse called it a “cowardly terrorist attack.” Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari also strongly condemned the “terrorist” attack, ordered an inquiry and extended his regrets to Sri Lanka.
The attack reinforced perceptions that nuclear-armed Pakistan is unable to control a raging militancy that is increasingly threatening to destabilize the nation of 170 million people.
— With input from agencies
