Tuesday
Mar032009
Breaking News: Sri Lankan Cricketers Attacked in Pakistan
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 16:51
Latest Post: The Latest on the Lahore Attack on Sri Lankan Cricketers
Update (4:40 p.m. GMT): Reuters' latest updates say the death doll from today's attack is now eight- this includes six police, the driver of a van in the players' convoy, and one other. Six players and the coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team are now thought to have been injured.
Meanwhile Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol, Pakistan's minister of state for shipping, has blamed India for the attack, calling it a "reaction" to November's Mumbai attacks, "a conspiracy" and "a declaration of open war on Pakistan by India."
As discussed here, what may at first appear to be an odd target for a terrorist attack may have serious repercussions for the region- the International Cricket Council looks likely to prevent international matches being played in Pakistan, and has also raised doubts over the 2011 World Cup, due to be co-hosted by Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Update (12:40 p.m.): Lifting two comments from Josh Mull ("UJ"), drawing on his knowledge of Pakistani politics and society:
Comment 1: If the various factions of Taliban start condemning it, we’ll be able to triangulate the group responsible based on their current relationships with insurgent leaders. If, on the other hand, we see MULTIPLE groups taking credit, then we’re on the trail to jihadists. Insurgents care deeply about their reputation, particularly their credibility and respect among the local population. Jihadis don’t give a s**t. By their calculation, it’s BETTER for us to be confused as to who really did it and how many jihadis are actually out there....
Comment 2: Now we’ve got a bit of an official narrative. It’s almost the same as Mumbai: 1. It’s Terrorists 2. It’s designed to embarrass Pakistan.
But what the narrative is missing is patience. The Pakistani government reacted almost immediately with “this is a plot to humiliate us!” versus the response to Mumbai, which was “hold on everybody, let’s do a thorough investigation to make sure we have all the facts.”
No, this time they knew it wasn’t their own assets, and they knew right away.
I smell jihadis. Now let’s see who takes credit…
Update (11:45 a.m.): CNN has revised the reports of injuries. As reported earlier, batsman Thilan Samaraweera was shot in the thigh but batsmen Tharanga Paranavitana, not assistant coach Paul Farbrace, was shot in the chest. Reports indicate that gunmen initially targeted a police car and two security vehicles in front of the bus, rather than the team vehicle.
Update (8:55 a.m.): Pakistani newspaper Dawn is reporting six policemen and two bystanders killed. Batsman Thilan Samawareera, shot in the thigh, and assistant coach Paul Farbrace, shot in the chest, are in hospital with injuries which are not life-threatening. Captain Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tharanga Paranavithana and Ajantha Mendis suffered minor injuries.
Update (7:55 a.m.): Charlie Austin, agent to six Sri Lankan players, relays their story: wheels of bus were shot out but driver kept bus moving. Attack lasted 2-3 minutes.
Update (7;35 a.m.): Sri Lankan cricketers reported injured - Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Mendis, Paranavitana, Samaraweera. One cricketer shot in thigh, one in chest. Others cut by glass.
Update (7:15 a.m. GMT): The two most seriously wounded cricketers are in "critical but stable" condition.
At least eight Pakistani security personnel have been killed and at least six members of the Sri Lanka cricket team wounded in an attack in Lahore this morning. Two of the cricketers have been shot in the assault on the Sri Lanka bus by about a dozen gunmen. The most seriously wounded is Thilan Samaraweera, who yesterday scored a double century (more than 200 runs) in his innings in the Pakistan-Sri Lanka test match.
Update (4:40 p.m. GMT): Reuters' latest updates say the death doll from today's attack is now eight- this includes six police, the driver of a van in the players' convoy, and one other. Six players and the coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team are now thought to have been injured.Meanwhile Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol, Pakistan's minister of state for shipping, has blamed India for the attack, calling it a "reaction" to November's Mumbai attacks, "a conspiracy" and "a declaration of open war on Pakistan by India."
As discussed here, what may at first appear to be an odd target for a terrorist attack may have serious repercussions for the region- the International Cricket Council looks likely to prevent international matches being played in Pakistan, and has also raised doubts over the 2011 World Cup, due to be co-hosted by Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Update (12:40 p.m.): Lifting two comments from Josh Mull ("UJ"), drawing on his knowledge of Pakistani politics and society:
Comment 1: If the various factions of Taliban start condemning it, we’ll be able to triangulate the group responsible based on their current relationships with insurgent leaders. If, on the other hand, we see MULTIPLE groups taking credit, then we’re on the trail to jihadists. Insurgents care deeply about their reputation, particularly their credibility and respect among the local population. Jihadis don’t give a s**t. By their calculation, it’s BETTER for us to be confused as to who really did it and how many jihadis are actually out there....
Comment 2: Now we’ve got a bit of an official narrative. It’s almost the same as Mumbai: 1. It’s Terrorists 2. It’s designed to embarrass Pakistan.
But what the narrative is missing is patience. The Pakistani government reacted almost immediately with “this is a plot to humiliate us!” versus the response to Mumbai, which was “hold on everybody, let’s do a thorough investigation to make sure we have all the facts.”
No, this time they knew it wasn’t their own assets, and they knew right away.
I smell jihadis. Now let’s see who takes credit…
Update (11:45 a.m.): CNN has revised the reports of injuries. As reported earlier, batsman Thilan Samaraweera was shot in the thigh but batsmen Tharanga Paranavitana, not assistant coach Paul Farbrace, was shot in the chest. Reports indicate that gunmen initially targeted a police car and two security vehicles in front of the bus, rather than the team vehicle.
Update (8:55 a.m.): Pakistani newspaper Dawn is reporting six policemen and two bystanders killed. Batsman Thilan Samawareera, shot in the thigh, and assistant coach Paul Farbrace, shot in the chest, are in hospital with injuries which are not life-threatening. Captain Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tharanga Paranavithana and Ajantha Mendis suffered minor injuries.
Update (7:55 a.m.): Charlie Austin, agent to six Sri Lankan players, relays their story: wheels of bus were shot out but driver kept bus moving. Attack lasted 2-3 minutes.
Update (7;35 a.m.): Sri Lankan cricketers reported injured - Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Mendis, Paranavitana, Samaraweera. One cricketer shot in thigh, one in chest. Others cut by glass.
Update (7:15 a.m. GMT): The two most seriously wounded cricketers are in "critical but stable" condition.
At least eight Pakistani security personnel have been killed and at least six members of the Sri Lanka cricket team wounded in an attack in Lahore this morning. Two of the cricketers have been shot in the assault on the Sri Lanka bus by about a dozen gunmen. The most seriously wounded is Thilan Samaraweera, who yesterday scored a double century (more than 200 runs) in his innings in the Pakistan-Sri Lanka test match.
Reader Comments (14)
"Fully Trained Terrorists"
http://www.asianews.com.pk/fully-trained-terrorists-behind-sri-lankan-team-in-lahore-attack-35673
LAHORE, Pakistan: An attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team Tuesday in the Pakistani city of Lahore was likely the work of “well-trained terrorists,” its police chief said.
“There were 12 masked gunmen,” Habib-ur Rehman told reporters, adding that police battled against the assailants for about 25 minutes.
“They appeared to be well-trained terrorists. They came on rickshaws. They were armed with rockets, hand grenades, kalashnikovs.”
He said five policemen were killed in the gun attack which also wounded at least three Sri Lankan players.
“Five policemen who were providing protection to the team sacrificed their lives,” he added.
this is high time that Pakistan terrorists has to realize the fact ....it sucks. i don't see a cause for such kind of attacks...what are they trying to achieve ?
gudipudi, I'm with you, I don't see any logic to this attack at all.
My questions,
1. What group is behind this attack?
2. What group publicly takes credit for this attack?
3. Why were the cricketers targeted (as opposed to an Embassy or Bank)?
My operating theory is this...
The attackers are transnational jihadists (think al-Qa'eda) affiliated with the LTTE hitting the Sri Lankan team (not the Pakistani) as a...retaliation...or message...to somebody?
I don't know, I'm just pulling the LTTE out of my butt right now. I really don't know who's in Lahore, who would do this and who it's aimed at. My only real gut feeling is that this is jihadis and not insurgents.
Need more facts now...
@UJ- I can understand why cricketers were targetted- soft target, global headlines (as opposed to 'another' attack on an embassy or bank etc in Pakistan which wouldn't be front page news worldwide today).
I don't get why it would be Sri Lanka in particular, though I guess it was Pakistani security forces rather than Sri Lankan sportsmen who were actually killed. I'm thinking they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time- the attackers' 'message' is that they are at war with the Pakistani govt and things like international cricket matches aren't going to happen. Other teams have already ruled out playing in Pakistan so it was the Sri Lankans who were unfortunate enough to be made examples of for the purposes of this message.
Otherwise- can we rule out mistaken identity (attacking the wrong team bus)?
Gunmen apparently were targeting security forces, not the cricketers. See latest update.
Yeah I'm not sure where I'm going with that idea. There's just something about this that doesn't feel very...insurgenty, if that makes any sense. Normally insurgencies tend to have some intended strategic or tactical point to make, they don't normally go in for the random-gunmen-in-public type gig. Even in Iraq, it was Zarqawi's jihadist bunch setting off carbombs and shooting up crowded markets. The insurgency-proper preferred targeted bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations. Of course I'm taking HUUUGE LEEWAY in calculating the capabilities of Pakistani jihadists vs their insurgent counterparts, but something just doesn't feel right.
The credit will be enlightening. If the various factions of Taliban start condemning it, we'll be able to triangulate the group responsible based on their current relationships with insurgent leaders. If, on the other hand, we see MULTIPLE groups taking credit, then we're on the trail to jihadists. Insurgents care deeply about their reputation, particularly their credibility and respect among the local population. Jihadis don't give a s**t. By their calculation, it's BETTER for us to be confused as to who really did it and how many jihadis are actually out there.
Taseer is PPP old guard and can possibly be considered (post Musharraf) as a mouthpiece of the Pakistani Military.
http://tinyurl.com/bsu78e
LAHORE: Punjab Governor, Salman Taseer has said that the terrorists attacking Sri Lankan team were the same who attacked Mumbai.
Talking to journalists at the scene of incident, Punjab Governor said that the police have besieged the area. He said this attack was well planned and the terrorists appeared to be highly trained.
He said that immediately no country could be suspected for involvement in the incident, while helicopter has been provided for taking out the Sri Lankan team. Salman Taseer said that police besieging the area have started the search and orders have been issued for nabbing the culprits alive or dead.
Qasim Zia on this occasion said, “This attack is a conspiracy to defame Pakistan and we will take the accused to task”.
UPDATE
Fascists say "it wasn't us!"
http://tinyurl.com/arq4fg
LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Leader Altaf Hussain has condemned terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore and called it a cruel and barbaric act.
In a statement released from London Altaf said the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers is the biggest incident of terrorism in the country this year, which has jolted Pakistan.
MQM chief expressed sympathy with the injured Sri Lankan cricketers and also condoled death of five policemen in the Lahore terror strike.
**Bonus morbid points for the phrase largest terrorist attack "this year."
UPDATE 2
Hameed Gul says "yup, I'm still batshit loco!"
http://www.geo.tv/3-3-2009/36382.htm
ISLAMABAD: Former chief of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Gen(R) Hameed Gul said India is trying to weaken Pakistan.
Commenting on the attack on Sri Lankan team, Gul told Geo News that India wants to declare Pakistan a terrorist state and firing on Sri Lankan team is related to the that conspiracy.
Attackers had carbombs
http://www.geo.tv/3-3-2009/36385.htm
Updated at: 1127 PST, Tuesday, March 03, 2009
LAHORE: Pakistani security experts on Tuesday defused two car bombs and recovered a stash of weapons after gunmen staged a deadly ambush against the Sri Lankan cricket team, officials said.
One bomb was defused at Liberty Square, where the ambush took place, and another at the nearby Firdus car park.
"We have defused a bomb in a white Hyundai and after some time we got information about a suspect car in the Firdus car park. We also defused the bomb there," police bomb disposal unit inspector Abdul Ghafoor told foreign news agency.
Local sector warden Malik Fayyaz said that grenades, three kilograms of explosives, a pistol and a one-meter detonating cable had been recovered.
OK, OK, OK now we're getting somewhere. I got Gilani, Sherry and Zardari's talking points, plus everybody else, now we've got a bit of an official narrative.
It's almost the same as Mumbai
1. It's Terrorists
2. It's designed to embarrass Pakistan
But what it's missing is the PATIENCE. The Pakistani government reacted almost immediately with "this is a plot to humiliate us!" versus the response to Mumbai, which was "hold on everybody, let's do a thorough investigation to make sure we have all the facts."
No, this time they knew it wasn't their own assets, and they knew right away.
I smell jihadis. Now let's see who takes credit...
[Note: No statements from Taliban/taliban/insurgent groups yet]
Is it not a bit hasty to assume that the Pakistani govt's response, when compared to Mumbai, is an indicator of who is responsible?
Surely, the govt's more measured response, and determination to conduct a thorough investigation to Mumbai was due to the diplomatic implications of a Pakistani connection to an Indian atrocity?
That dynamic is more or less absent from this (it may have been if Indian cricketers had been hurt).
Abt Pak's response to blame India being too premature, people who critize that should really re-assess how india reacted after mumbai attacks with their media and politicians screaming Pak Terrorism even before the hostage takers had been neutralized.
Still too early to blame anyone since no1 has come up and taken responsibility for this henious crime and no thorough investigation has been conducted as yet.
If we go by the "who stands to gain" theory then the following needs to be considered:
1. The militants in Swat and other areas either directly or by extension HAVE declared a truce and have stopped their fighting with the security forces in the north west.
2. The main terrorist organization in Pakistan led by Beitullah Mehsud was mainly responsible for the bomb attacks in urban areas who too recently declared a unilateral ceasefire and made a clear statement that whosoever targets Pakistanis isnt doing God's will (took him some time eh?).
There is no other "local" terrorist element which could be involved. The only logical conclusion is that a foreign entity was involved in these attacks.
Some points to ponder:
1. Who has it against SL or the cooperation between SL & Pak specifically military in nature?
2. Who has an explicit agenda to demonize Pakistan as a country?
3. Who has the required expertise and track record of committing such atrocities?
LTTE could fit the bill and since the link between RAW & LTTE is well-established, it wouldnt be unfair to suspect foul play by this most seedy organization.
Let's see how events unfold ...
Points to ponder - pondered!
1. The obvious one would be the LTTE, i guess or enemies of one or the other militaries, or both.
2. This one is a bit complicated the list would comprise all organizations within and without interested in destabilizing Pakistan.
3. Expertise in Pakistan, available with quite a few organizations there, at this point makes it capable of even consulting elsewhere.
Early days still, currently relevant reactions are sadness at the event for Pakistan, Pakistani cricket, the dead policemen, the injured Sri Lankan players
and that things are going haywire. Sad, and it needs resolve from all of us, to stand with any leader/leaders who can talk peace, and take the region that way.
I'm with Mike on this. The cricketers are a soft target that bady damages the credibility of the Pakistani government, generating further instability and widespread publicity (look at the comments here). I don't think it is credible that this attack was carried out by LTTE which is currently fighting for its life. This was a well-organized attack as they clearly had advance warning that the cricketers were on their way and the path that they would take and the attackers all escaped capture. I don't agree that the target was the Pakistani security guarding the cricketers. An effort was made to disable the bus with a grenade and to take out the driver of the bus. Luckily for the cricketers, they missed.
Well, just to be clear, I'm only presupposing that the group was LTTE "connected" and not necessarily actual Tamil combatants. What I'm not so sure of is whether
1. This was a deliberate operation by Indian security services, who've used LTTE jihadi assets in the past against Pakistan. These militants could've been smuggled across the border from Sri Lanka (with the refugee waves) and then across the border into Pakistan as regular cricket fans. Or...
2. This is a separate LTTE "connected" operation in which the roots could be as simple as Bob the Tamil calling up Steve the Qa'eda and saying "Hey man, can you do something in Pakistan to get India off our backs for a bit?" India has been diplomatically tangled with Sri Lanka lately as the Sri Lankans attempt to wipe out the LTTE for good and the Indians seek to protect and maintain their militant assets. Or...
3. It's not LTTE connected at all. I said I pulled the LTTE out of my butt because the Pakistani narrative was "this is a conspiracy" which means "it's India's fault" and the only major militant group that is both operationally capable in this way and connected to India is the LTTE. However, that would also imply that not only is the Pakistani narrative CORRECT, but they also managed to all be correct simultaneously within an hour of it happening.
Here's where I'm at...
95% sure it was Nihilist Jihadis, not Taliban/Insurgents
75% sure it was LTTE "Connected"
50% sure India had advance notice
40% sure India was involved
20% sure Pakistan is telling the truth
5% sure this had anything to do with Cricket
UPDATE: Should be clearer this only goes for my theory about the LTTE connection. I'm also open to the idea that it is a rogue group of jihadis operating outside the control of the Taliban in Pakistan. (Think Zarqawi vs Islamic State of Iraq)