Gunmen shoot Sri Lankan cricketers

Gunmen shoot Sri Lanka cricketers

Sri Lankan cricketers under fire - Footage courtesy of Samaa TV and Dawn News

Gunmen have attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team on its way to play in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

At least five Pakistani policemen escorting the team bus were killed, while at least five cricketers, and their assistant coach, were injured.

Pakistani officials said about 12 gunmen were involved and grenades and rocket launchers have been recovered.

Officials said the incident bore the hallmarks of deadly attacks in Mumbai in India last November.

The Mumbai attacks were blamed on Pakistan-based Islamic militants.

Commentators say the incident will come as a big blow to Pakistani cricket - already suffering from serious security concerns - and may put an end to international cricket in the country in the short term.

Pakistan had invited Sri Lanka to tour after India's cricket team pulled out of a scheduled cricket tour following the Mumbai attacks.

Match cancelled

The gunmen opened fire on the Sri Lankan team bus which was in the heart of Lahore on its way to the Gaddafi stadium, venue for a Test match between the two sides.

Witnesses reported an intense burst of heavy gunfire and explosions, as the gunmen first aimed for the police detail accompanying the team, before attacking the team coach.


It was a very heavy firing and I heard at least two explosions at the time
Eyewitness



Officials in Lahore said two members of the Sri Lankan team - Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana - were sent to hospital. At least another four received minor wounds, including assistant coach Paul Farbrace.

"The players are shocked. They have never gone through anything like this before," former Sri Lankan player Sanath Jayasuriya told an Indian news channel on the phone from Colombo.

A Pakistani air force helicopter has now evacuated members of the Sri Lankan team from Gaddafi Stadium, after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse condemned the "cowardly terrorist attack" and ordered the players' immediate evacuation.

The third day of play in the Second Test was scheduled to begin, but officials said the match has now been cancelled.

TV pictures showed two gunmen with backpacks on the road where the incident happened.

According to Lahore police chief Habibur Rahman, "10 to 12" attackers came to the scene in auto rickshaws.

Grenades and rocket launchers were found at the site of the incident, police said.




Pakistan is engaged in a bloody struggle against Islamist insurgents who have staged high-profile attacks on civilian targets before.

India and Australia have pulled out of cricket tours in Pakistan in the recent past citing security concerns.

The sport's world governing body, the International Cricket Council, last month decided not to hold the 2009 Champions Trophy in Pakistan due to safety worries.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is also waging its own military campaign at home, against Tamil Tiger separatist rebels.

TigaSefi wrote:Pakistan REALLY must get to grip with their problems of extremism living amongst them.

Gandalf wrote:

TigaSefi wrote:Pakistan REALLY must get to grip with their problems of extremism living amongst them.

Exactly. It seems a hell of a lot of problems with terrorism stems from Pakistan. I was watching Ross Kemp the other day, he spoke to an Afghan policeman as to where the trouble lies, he pointed the finger directly at them.

HrC wrote:Hmm, wonder what the motivation to attack the Sri Lankans was? You could understand insurgents attacking the English Cricket team. Still bad news though. It just ruins things for all the Cricket lovers over there.

Drunken_Master wrote:Bump. The police have issued sketches of who they reckon the culprits are.



One of them looks familiar.