Pakistan version of Mumbai attack?

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Police in Lahore have launched an intensive search for at least 12 gunmen believed to be responsible for Tuesday's deadly attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team which left six security personnel dead and eight players hurt -- including two with gunshot wounds.
Police gather beside the wreckage of a police van in Lahore, Pakistan, following Tuesday's attack.

Police gather beside the wreckage of a police van in Lahore, Pakistan, following Tuesday's attack.

The Sri Lankan players were traveling by bus to the city's Gaddafi Stadium for the third day of the second test match against Pakistan at around 9 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) when the attack occurred.

Video footage showed several gunmen with automatic weapons firing on the convoy from a roundabout, Liberty Square, close to the stadium.

Pakistani Information Minister Sherry Rahman told CNN the attackers were still at large as police launched an intensive hunt for the assailants.

Witnesses described the scene of the ambush as "pandemonium."

Images showed police vehicles with their windscreens punctured by bullets and their front seats stained with blood. A body lies in the road in front of one bullet-shattered van.

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I saw this on TV (CNN), later I read this on the web (Also CNN). Shocked! The attack on Mumbai is still in fresh memory, and this starts to happen. What's the world going on?...

I wonder if this has anything to do with Tamil Tigers and the recent Government offensive against them. Considering this attack was precisely planned and executed and the target was very clear.

jwangyue said:

I wonder if this has anything to do with Tamil Tigers and the recent Government offensive against them. Considering this attack was precisely planned and executed and the target was very clear.

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The BBC has an article on the groups who might have done the attack but most sources believe that the Tigers do nothave the logistical capabilities nor the strong enough presence in Pakistan to carry out the attack.

jwangyue said:

I wonder if this has anything to do with Tamil Tigers and the recent Government offensive against them. Considering this attack was precisely planned and executed and the target was very clear.

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Cannot be ruled out as they would love to embarrass the Sri Lankan government in a major way, but all the analysis of security experts suggests that this was probably Pakistani based militants. The modus operandii seems very similar to Mumbai and as Semi-Lobster points out they don't have the presence in Pakistan that they would have in India where this is a large Tamil presence.

Someone on BBC Radio said earlier that this is the first time professional athletes have been targeted by terrorists since the Munich Olympics. This suggests that these groups frankly don't care about public opinion as the reaction to this in Pakistan will be very negative. Cricket is like a religion in Pakistan and Sri Lanka were only in Lahore as India pulled out of a tour in the aftermath of Mumbai. No one is going to go to Pakistan to play competitive sport until there is a vast improvement in the security situation so the Pakistan cricket team will have to play abroad from now on. Ordinary Pakistanis will be dismayed by this and it will not garner much support for the militants. Many terrorist groups have tended to stop short of targeting sport because of the fear of negative public reaction, so the conclusion is that those behind this attack aren't interested in winning over the majority.

maybe LTTE pay some mercs via RAW to do the job done....and give ***** unstable image...maybe:coffee:

Wonder why... I feel that people are trying to cover this incident. There aren't much report about the event... and the terrorist just vanish into thin air.