Cricket-team attack suspects die in Pakistan gun battle

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Three people allegedly involved in a 2009 gun-and-bomb attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore have been killed in a late-night clash between the security forces and terrorists, police said Sunday.

A spokesman for Punjab province’s counter-terrorism department said the accused – who had already been in custody since June this year – were being taken to identify a hideout they had been using on the outskirts of Lahore late on Saturday when “a group of 7-8 terrorists attacked the police”.

Four prisoners were cut down by attacking fire, the spokesman claimed.

Three of the four people killed in the clash, the spokesman said, were involved in the brazen attack on the Sri Lankan team. Six policemen providing security were killed in the assault which hit international cricket in Pakistan.

In June, police arrested six members of outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militant group for their alleged involvement in the attack which also injured several players from the visiting team.

The alleged mastermind of the attack, Malik Ishaq, was also killed in a similar shootout last year along with 13 aides – including two of his sons – in Multan city.

Pakistan, which recently earned number-one position in world Test cricket rankings, has not played any home games as foreign teams refuse to visit the South Asian cricket-mad country due to security concerns.