Militants wound Sri Lanka cricketers

allesennogwat · 03-03-2009, 08:27 AM

LAHORE, Pakistan - A dozen gunmen attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team on Tuesday with rifles, grenades and rockets, wounding six players and a British coach while killing six Pakistanis in Lahore, Pakistan, officials said.

The unidentified gunmen fired AK 47s and rockets and hurled grenades at Sri Lanka's team bus as it was being driven to Lahore's Gaddafi stadium for the third day of a match against Pakistan.

Team captain Mahela Jayawardene said the gunmen first shot at the tyres then at the bust itself.

"We all dived to the floor to take cover," he told Reuters by telephone from the stadium, before being evacuated by helicopter along with the rest of the team, including all the wounded.

The driver of the team bus said one attacker threw a grenade under the vehicle but it failed to detonate. The driver of a bus following behind, carrying the Australian umpires, was killed.

A city administration official, Sajjad Bhutta said six people were killed in the attack. According to officials and witnesses they included five police along with the second bus driver.

Bomb and gun attacks, mostly carried out by Islamist militants linked to the Taliban or al Qaeda, have become commonplace in Pakistan over the past few years because of the government's support for the United States.

Tuesday's incident had echoes of an attack on the Indian city of Mumbai last November in which around 170 people died and which led to the Indian cricket team cancelling its planned tour of Pakistan. The Sri Lankan team accepted an invitation to replace the Indians.

Westerners in Pakistan knew they could be targeted, but few analysts could divine any reason for attacking Sri Lankan cricketers other than to send a message that no one is safe coming to Pakistan.

India blamed the Mumbai attack on Pakistan-trained militants and the incident sharply raised tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, and brought international pressure on Pakistan to crack down on jihadi groups that its security agencies have been friendly with in the past.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/200903...g-428a471.html

03-03-2009, 08:27 AM	#1
allesennogwat Curio & Relic AKaholic #: 3738 Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 32,200	Militants wound Sri Lanka cricketers LAHORE, Pakistan - A dozen gunmen attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team on Tuesday with rifles, grenades and rockets, wounding six players and a British coach while killing six Pakistanis in Lahore, Pakistan, officials said. The unidentified gunmen fired AK 47s and rockets and hurled grenades at Sri Lanka's team bus as it was being driven to Lahore's Gaddafi stadium for the third day of a match against Pakistan. Team captain Mahela Jayawardene said the gunmen first shot at the tyres then at the bust itself. "We all dived to the floor to take cover," he told Reuters by telephone from the stadium, before being evacuated by helicopter along with the rest of the team, including all the wounded. The driver of the team bus said one attacker threw a grenade under the vehicle but it failed to detonate. The driver of a bus following behind, carrying the Australian umpires, was killed. A city administration official, Sajjad Bhutta said six people were killed in the attack. According to officials and witnesses they included five police along with the second bus driver. Bomb and gun attacks, mostly carried out by Islamist militants linked to the Taliban or al Qaeda, have become commonplace in Pakistan over the past few years because of the government's support for the United States. Tuesday's incident had echoes of an attack on the Indian city of Mumbai last November in which around 170 people died and which led to the Indian cricket team cancelling its planned tour of Pakistan. The Sri Lankan team accepted an invitation to replace the Indians. Westerners in Pakistan knew they could be targeted, but few analysts could divine any reason for attacking Sri Lankan cricketers other than to send a message that no one is safe coming to Pakistan. India blamed the Mumbai attack on Pakistan-trained militants and the incident sharply raised tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, and brought international pressure on Pakistan to crack down on jihadi groups that its security agencies have been friendly with in the past. http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/200903...g-428a471.html __________________ Daraclor: A brand of anti-malaria pills which we had to drink every week while on the border. Legend had it that these would make you turn yellow and that you wouldn't be able to tan.

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