Footage raises new questions about Pakistan attack

Agence France-Presse
March 5, 2009

Pakistan faced new questions about its security forces Thursday as dramatic footage emerged of the cricket attackers making a leisurely getaway from the scene of their deadly assault.

[efoods]The images of the gunmen calmly walking off, without police or security forces chasing them, will add to the speculation swirling around the brazen daytime attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team Tuesday that left eight people dead.

Pakistan is steeped in political violence, and suspicion has fallen on Islamic militants linked to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Police have brought in around two dozen people for questioning but say none are linked to the attack.

Up to 12 men attacked the convoy of umpires, coaches and players with automatic weapons, grenades and a rocket launcher as it made its way to the cricket ground in the city of Lahore. The attackers fled without a trace.

The new footage, captured by closed-circuit cameras, showed two suspects wearing rucksacks and ambling down the road, apparently untroubled after the carnage took place. They then jump on motorbikes and speed off.

“We are doing our best to unravel the conspiracy,” Lahore police chief Habib-ur Rehman told AFP.

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This article was posted: Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 9:10 am

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