LeJ planned to take SL team hostage

21 January 2011 06:05 am - 16 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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One of the main accused in the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009 in Pakistan's Lahore has claimed that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had plan to take the visiting players hostage and bargain for the release of some of its detained members.

Abdul Wahab alias Omar, who is under dentition, told Geo News that the operation against the Sri Lankan team was planned in Waziristan.

"The operation was planned in Waziristan and there were 12 of us designated for this mission. I belonged to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Amjad Farooqi group," the bearded Wahab dressed in a white shalwar kameez said.

He said the purpose of the attack at the Liberty roundabout was to take the Sri Lankan players hostage.

"We were supposed to take them hostage and then our superiors would have bargained
their release in exchange for some of our companions in their custody," Wahab said.

He said the attackers arrived at Liberty roundabout just minutes before the arrival of the Sri Lankan team bus.

"We came in a rickshaw and on motorcycles that we had purchased for this operation," said Wahab, who has received training in Waziristan.

Five Sri Lankan players were injured and six Pakistani policemen and a van driver were killed in the attack in March, 2009, which led to foreign teams turning down tour to Pakistan and the ICC also moving the World Cup matches away from the country due to security concerns.

Pakistani authorities have made several arrests in the case.

Wahab said the men behind the attack had fled to Waziristan immediately after the attack.

"We got our ammunition and guns in Lahore a day before the operation was carried out," he added.

The attack was botched up after the driver of the Sri Lankan team bus managed to drive the bus through to the Gaddafi stadium in a hail of bullets. Wahab said that he was stationed behind the bus and fired at it repeatedly to ensure it stopped there. (PTI)

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Comments - 16

Lanke Banda Friday, 21 January 2011 06:23 AM

Dread to think what would have happened if this Terror plan was successful.

tom Friday, 21 January 2011 06:32 AM

Alqaeda will not want to waste time kidnapping the lankan team without jayasuriya...

sanjeeva lokuge Friday, 21 January 2011 06:47 AM

Alqaeda should be called WAL-qaeda

Tin Friday, 21 January 2011 07:36 AM

How horrible really are these terrorists. Thank god(?) we wiped out the one that was on our soil.

Loku Pissa Friday, 21 January 2011 07:49 AM

Ask him to return home - Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

robinson Friday, 21 January 2011 07:58 AM

Great driver, who saved our team. Only Sri Lankan forces would be competent enough to wipe out Al Qaeda, I guess.

aruna Friday, 21 January 2011 08:49 AM

robinson yes true.with SF

DHA Friday, 21 January 2011 09:06 AM

Sounds really Freaky with the world cup around.....

Idiot Friday, 21 January 2011 09:22 AM

Alqaeda worst invention of CIA.

Jammie Friday, 21 January 2011 10:24 AM

Alqaeda has nothing to do with CIA.. Alqaeda is a group of dedicated, muslim men fighting against the terrorists America..

Jix Friday, 21 January 2011 11:00 AM

Well.. the CIA is said and reported to to have have armed and trained Osama Bin Laden and his cohorts fight the soviet union at the time and Bin Laden albiet much later, was sort of intrumental in forming and building Al Qaeda to what it is today... sooo... idiot is sort of right :)

jsilva Friday, 21 January 2011 11:21 AM

They are fundamentalist extremists who believe that an invisible sky fairie has spoken through a pedophile arab and would kill everyone who doesnt accept that if they have their way.

The world would be so much better without religion...

Amal Pereraa Friday, 21 January 2011 06:08 PM

It was reported that the Pakistani President had invited our team back again; possibly to experience the worst nightmare once more! :-)

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LeJ planned to take SL team hostage

Comments - 16

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