Ashraf Javed, Amraiz Khan and Jam Sajjad Hussain
LAHORE – Military commandos, Pakistan Rangers personnel and police killed 10 terrorists who carried out three gun and bomb attacks simultaneously at the police, Elite force training centres and regional Headquarters of the Federal Investigations Agency (FIA) here on Thursday morning.
A total of 29 people including 10 terrorists were killed in the synchronised attacks. Police sources said 14 personnel of FIA and police and five civilians also lost their lives. Police sources revealed all the terrorists were aged between 19 to 21 years.
Well-placed sources in the security agencies disclosed to TheNation late on Thursday night that the notorious Indian Intelligence Agency – Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)- was behind the deadly attacks as the joint teams comprising intelligence personnel and police investigators have begun investigations to probe into the desperate strikes.
“The security agencies have recovered Russian-made sophisticated weapons, and explosive material from the terrorists, which most probably were provided to the militants of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) by the RAW,” sources revealed, adding, further investigations were underway.
“It has been established so far that Indian Intelligence Agency RAW is behind the terror strikes in Pakistan,” Khusro Pervaiz, Commissioner Lahore told reporters.
The security agencies also recovered dates, mineral water bottles, and grams from the possession of the terrorists, who were killed during the operation in Elite Force Training Centre and Manawan Police School. “It seemed that the terrorists had planned to take hostage maximum policemen to get their demands fulfilled as they were carrying dry fruits, and mineral water bottles along with them,” a high-ranking police official said.
“At least 24 people including 9 policemen and FIA officials were martyred during the attacks. However, 10 terrorists were killed during the crossfire as the law enforcement agencies hit back the terrorists in the same coin and foiled their attempts to execute their well thought-out plans,” Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah said.
The desperate terrorists carried out simultaneous attacks at the regional centre of the Federal Investigation Agency, Elite Fore Training Centre at Badian Road and Manawan Police training centre just before 9:30 am in the provincial metropolis.
Over a dozen terrorists dressed in police uniforms carried out three attacks at the police, Elite force training centres and regional Headquarters of the FIA in Lahore, the second biggest populous City of the country.
According to the Inspector General of Police Punjab, the terrorists wanted to hold policemen and their familiesÂ’ hostage to get their demands fulfilled.
“But the army commandos, Pakistan Rangers and police responded well in time, killed all the terrorists and foiled their nefarious designs” Tariq Saleem Dogar told reporters during a press-conference following the attacks.
“It was a successful operation as the police and army officials fought bravely and killed all the terrorists including the suicide bombers,” Tariq Saleem maintained.
The commandos, Pakistan Rangers and police launched joint operation soon after the terrorists struck the police and FIA sites and killed all the terrorists during four-hour successful operation.
The spree of attacks began with a suicide bombing of the World Food Programme of the United Nations in the capital 10 days ago. Then, militants attacked a busy bazaar in Peshawar, the provincial capital of the North-West Frontier Province. After the siege at the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, militants hit an army convoy at a crowded market in Shangla district, adjacent to the Swat Valley.
Hundreds of people who gathered at the crimes scenes following the attacks and security personnel chanted the slogans of Allah-O-Akbar (Allah is Great) after they killed all the terrorists and cleared the police and FIA establishments during the successful operation.
“We salute all the martyrs who lost their lives while performing duties for their country,” Ahmed Khan, a local shopkeeper commended outside the FIA building.
Heavy police contingents, army commandos and Pakistan Rangers personnel reached all the three sites within minutes, cordoned off the entire localities and launched the operation against the terrorists.
The terrorists targeted the FIA building and Manawan Police training centres for the second time this year. However, the quick response from the law enforcement agencies and successful operation eliminated the terrorists with minimum damage as compared to the previous attacks.
FIA attack: A suicide bomber wearing plainclothes managed to enter the FIA building at 9:28 am and opened indiscriminate fire with automatic gun on the officials who were busy in routine work on Thursday morning. Two FIA Inspectors identified as Rana Farooq and Shahzad Younis received severe bullet wounds and died on the spot. Four civilians were also killed during the attack as the terrorist hurled hand grenades on the officials and passersby. A Ranger official shot the terrorist in the head when he tried to blow himself up. The terrorist fell down and died on the spot before carrying out suicide blast. The injured were rushed to nearby hospital while the police removed the bodies to the city morgue.
Manawan Police Training School: In another attack, four terrorists stormed into the Manawan Police Training School by scaling the boundary wall on Thursday morning, second time within a span of seven months.
Unlike the previous incident, this time the terrorists were wearing police uniform, an eyewitness said. The terrorists carrying bags filled with ammunitions, water bottles and dry fruits, opened fire on the police officials as they forced their entry into the Assembly ground of the training school.
The attackers sprayed the policemen with bullets with automatic guns and kalashankoves and the police also retaliated. According to the police sources, 10 policemen lost their live while more than 60 others were wounded.
Heavy police contingents and Rangers personnel reached the spot within 30 minutes, following the attack and launched the operation. One of terrorists was gunned down in the Assembly ground while another was killed in the stairs of the building when he was running toward the first floor, where a good number of police recruits were taking shelter. However, two terrorists were left with no other option but to blow themselves up as the police and Rangers gave them tough time during the operation.
A good number of local residents after hearing gunshot and blasts gathered at the spot soon after the incident and chanted slogans in favour of the law enforcing agencies.
According to the police, two police Inspectors identified as Salamat Ali and Muhammad Aslam and a Sub Inspector Tahir and five cops were martyred during the crossfire. However, more than 60 people sustained injuries and were rushed to local hospitals.
It is important to here that on March 30, 2009 the said training centre was attacked by eight terrorists who killed eight police officials and injured 95 others while the police had then claimed to have arrested four of them.
An eyewitness Muhammad Anwar said that four terrorists who were wearing police uniform were dropped by a motorist on a service road, Kot Duni chand, near the Grand Trunk (GT) road. They walked to the entry point of the Training Centre and fired at the security persons at the gate to make their way in, he adds.
According to the sources, each terrorist took one cup of tea from the tea-stall situated outside the training centre before launching the attack.
A police official on the condition of anonymity said, inside the school the presence of the police recruits at the main ground was thin as it was tea-break and some were moving toward the ground after first bell for attendance.
This factor prevented heavy loss, which could have been otherwise in case the suicide attackers blew themselves up during the drill time where hundreds of recruits were present in the ground.
As per sources, attackers inside the premises, opened indiscriminate fire, and hurled hand grenades on the policemen. Their action was retaliated by the forces, which forced two of the terrorists to blow themselves.
Senior police officers reached the spot while Rangers also joined the operation, and a Helicopter was witnessed hovering over the training centre. Later when the operation ended, the police recovered ammunitions including six rifle grenades, seven hand grenades, one suicide jacket, two time devices, and seven magazines from the scene.
A police official office said the modus operandi of the terrorists was similar to the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.
Ahmed, a police recruit said that he heard shooting as he left his post to eat breakfast. I heard gunshot at around 9:30 am and rushed back. It was a terrible scene,” he said, adding, “I saw a number of my colleagues were lying on the ground with severe bullet injuries”.
Azam Khan, an eyewitness said that he had seen a man in his 20s, running toward the compound. “He opened indiscriminate fire on the policemen. Then there was constant gunshots for 15 minutes and two low-intensity explosions,” he added.
Elite Fore Training Centre: At least four terrorists wearing Elite force uniforms tried to storm into the Elite Force Training Centre situated at Badian Road when the personnel of the Elite force police intercepted them outside the main entrance. The terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on the guard cops.
A policeman received bullet wounds and died on the spot while the elite force shooters killed one of the terrorists outside the main gate.
However, three terrorists managed to enter into the training centre, where another terrorist was killed by the security personnel.