Tuesday, March 3, 2009

attack on cricket!

Terrorists today staged a commando-style attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team as they were being bussed to a Test match in Pakistan.Six players were injured and six police escorts killed when they were ambushed by masked gunmen with AK-47s, grenades and rocket launchers.The attackers had arrived in rickshaws and burst out in front of the bus, spraying bullets, as it neared the Gadaffi stadium in Lahore.

Batsman Thilan Samaraweera was shot in the leg and opening batsman Tharanga Paranthavina was hit in the chest by shrapnel, both were being treated in hospital and according to the sources all of them are out of danger.Three more players Sangakara, Jayawardene, Mendis and head coach Australian Trevor Bayliss, received minor injuries.Chris Broad, in a car of match officials behind the bus which was also attacked but was uninjured. Fourth umpire, the local Pakistani umpire, was hit in the back and was seriously injured.

Police said up to 12 gunmen were involved in the attack at 8.40am local time as the bus reached a roundabout. They arrived on rickshaws before opening fire.There were immediate claims the terrorists were part of the same group blamed for the horrific attack on the Indian city of Mumbai last November.I feel that India had made a wise decision to cancel their tour of Pakistan after the 26/11 attacks.

The team, apart from the two being treated in hospital, went on to the stadium and were later airlifted by a army helicopter to Abu-Dhabi and from here they will be flying back to their home today itself .The match was canceled and the series called off. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa condemned the attack and ordered his foreign minister to immediately travel to Pakistan to help assist in the team's evacuation and ensure they are safe.

Its time for Pakistan to seriously think of its internal security after just 2 weeks back the entire Swat region came under the control of Pro-Taliban regime.If they keep crumbling under the pressure it might not take much time for it to become a Taliban nation and might have to suffer the same fate as Afghanistan.

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