Lahore under terror siege; several killed

Terrorists struck Lahore in a big way on Thursday, storming Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) building and attacking two police training centres in synchronised attacks, triggering fierce exchanges of fire with police that left at least 11 dead and several injured.

Three separate groups of terrorists carried out the attacks a little after 9.15 am, police said. The terrorists exchanged heavy gunfire with police at the FIA office on Temple Road, the Elite Force police training centre at Bedian Road near the airport and the police training centre at Manawan on the outskirts of Lahore.

Almost two hours after the FIA office was assaulted by the terrorists, Lahore Police Commissioner Khusro Pervez said the building had been cleared. He said seven persons, including three FIA personnel and an attacker, were killed and three others injured in the incident.

"The building has been cleared and we are searching the surrounding areas," Pervez told reporters. One terrorist killed at the FIA office had a suicide jacket, he added.

The terrorists who assaulted the police training centres at Bedian Road and Manawan lobbed several grenades and traded fire with policemen and paramilitary Pakistan Rangers troops that surrounded the facilities.
Reports said several police recruits had been taken hostage at the Manawan centre.

A spokesman for the private Edhi rescue service said at least three persons were killed and four injured at the Bedian Road facility while one person was killed and five others were injured at the Manawan centre. Several loud explosions were heard from within the Bedian Road centre.

Dozens of ambulances rushed to the site to take the dead and injured to nearby hospitals. The exact number of terrorists involved in the three attacks could not immediately be ascertained. TV news channels said groups of five to six terrorists each carried out the attacks on the FIA office and the Manawan centre. They reported that up to 10 terrorists were involved in the attack at the Bedian Road centre.

The FIA office that was attacked this morning is located next to another building of the same agency that was targeted by a suicide car bomber on March 11 last year. That attack killed 24 people and injured scores. The building targeted last year is currently empty as it was very badly damaged.

In March this year, terrorists had stormed the police training centre at Manawan, killing eight policemen and injuring 90 others. Today's attack was also part of a new trend of terrorists storming the facilities of security agencies.

Last week, a group of terrorists attempted to storm the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Nine attackers and 14 security personnel and civilian employees of the armed forces died in the assault.

"This is a multiple attack on the city. In the FIA attack, seven people were killed, three government officials including a sepoy," Khusro said.
Two bodies were recovered near the gate of the FIA building, SP Civil Lines Haider Ismail told reporters.

TV channels beamed footage of at least two bodies being removed from the site by rescue workers. Officials said a large parade was to be held at the Bediyan Road centre today. "The situation in under control and there is no need for any panic reaction," Interior Minister Rehman Malik said.

"The perpetrators are carrying out an agenda. The handlers behind the attacks do not want peace," he said. He said all the four provinces have been put on red alert and security has been beefed up at all the key installations.

The terror attacks have shown a spurt in recent months following Pakistan Army's offensive against Taliban in the restive North West Frontier Province. Dawn quoting unnamed police officials said six militants and two police officials were killed in the Manawan police centre attack.

Taliban claims responsibility for Lahore terror attacks
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the simultaneous terror attacks on three security establishments in this Pakistani city on Thursday.

The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the multiple attacks in Lahore, The News International reported.

Militants dressed in uniform stormed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Manawan police training school, close to the India-Pakistan border, and the training centre of the Elite Force.

There was heavy exchange of fire in all three buildings that came under siege. Loud blasts and gunshots could be heard, eyewitnesses said.

Commissioner of Police, Lahore, Khusro Pervez, told Dawn News that it was a multi-directional attack.