Monday, March 2, 2009

Firing in Lahore, Sri Lanka cricket team members injured

LAHORE: Six members of Sri Lanka's national cricket team have been wounded after gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in Lahore, Pakistan, according to reports.

Pakistan Cricket Board security official Nadeem Iqbal says the team members were injured near the Gaddafi stadium where they were due to arrive to play in the second test against Pakistan.

Sri Lankan team manager, Brendon Kruppu, confirmed the incident and said the team's players, Kumar Sangakkara and Ajantha Mendis, are among the injured.

"We are assessing the situation," Pakistan cricket board chief Ejaz Butt said.

In Sri Lanka, sports minister Gamini Lokuge said two other players, Tharanga Paranavitana and Thilan Samaraweera, had been taken to hospital in Lahore, AFP reports.

Unidentified gunmen attacked the bus taking the Sri Lankan cricket squad and its police escort to a cricket stadium in Lahore, according to witnesses and cricket officials.

Six policemen and two civilians have been killed, a police official said. The attack was likely the work of "well-trained terrorists," Lahore police chief, Habib-ur Rehman, said, according to AFP.

The police chief said 12 gunmen attacked the convoy near Lahore's Gaddafi stadium with rockets, hand grenades and automatic weapons and were involved in a 25-minute shoot-out with the security forces.

The Test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan stands cancelled. Sri Lanka is to immediately pull its national cricket team out of Pakistan following the gun attack, Sri Lanka cricket chief Duleep Mendis said.

Security concerns have plagued Pakistan for years and some foreign sports teams have refused to play here.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/6-Lanka-cricketers-wounded-in-Lahore-attack/articleshow/4215872.cms

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