Four LeJ terrorists behind Sri Lanka cricket team attack killed

Three others managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

Sri Lankan cricket player Tharanga Paranavitana (left) rests at a hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in this March 5, 2009 file photo. He was one of the seven Sri Lankan cricketers injured as heavily armed gunmen ambushed their bus en route to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 3. Four terrorists involved in the attack were killed in the early hours of Sunday in Lahore more than 7 years after the ambush. Three others escaped under the cover of darkness.

Four Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) terrorists, who were allegedly involved in the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009, were shot dead by the Pakistan police in the early hours of Sunday here.

According to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the Punjab police, seven terrorists attacked a CID team in Manawan area of Lahore where offices of the department are located.

Killed on the spot

“The police team which came under attack of terrorists returned the fire, killing four of them on the spot while the remaining three managed to escape by taking advantage of darkness,” a CTD spokesman said.

He said the police have launched a search operation in the area to trace the absconding terrorists.

“The dead terrorists have been identified as — Zubair alias Naik Muhammad, Abdul Wahab, Adnan Arshad and Attiqur Rehman.”

“They were involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009 and Moon Market Lahore attack in 2008,” the spokesman said.

Arms, explosives seized

Weapons and explosives from recovered from their possession.

In June, the Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore had indicted six members of banned LeJ in the Sri Lankan cricket team attack case.

The LeJ suspects who were charged by the ATC were: Obaidullah, Javed Anwar, Ibrahim Khalil, Muhammad, Wahab and Arshad.

Obaidullah, Anwar and Khalil were on bail while the remaining had been lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail and they had pleaded not guilty.

The ATC had already declared two other suspects — Mohsin Rasheed and Abdul Rehman — proclaimed offenders.

Its chief killed last year in encounter

LeJ chief Malik Ishaq, the alleged mastermind of the attack, was killed last year in an encounter with the CID.

In March 2009, a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team was attacked allegedly by the Taliban and LeJ terrorists with sophisticated weapons and grenades at Liberty Chowk, near Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Seven players, including then captain Mahela Jayawaredene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana and Chaminda Vaas were injured, while six Pakistani policemen escorting the team were killed in the attack.