8 Die as Pakistan Gunmen Attack Sri Lankan Cricket Team

(NEWSER) - A British cricket referee traveling in the Sri Lankan convoy attacked in Lahore yesterday said Pakistani police fled the confrontation, the AP reports. “There was not a sign of a policeman anywhere,” Chris Broad said. “They had clearly left the scene and left us to be sitting ducks.” Pakistan’s cricket chief was indignant. “How can Chris Broad say this when 6 policemen were killed?” More»

Paramilitary forces are locked in gun battle with attackers

(NEWSER) - Pakistani troops were locked in a fierce firefight today with gunmen who stormed a police academy near Lahore, killing 20 officers. The attackers, armed with automatic rifles and grenades, stormed the academy's morning turnout dressed as police, reports the Times of London. They "opened fire after throwing grenades," said a trainee, one of dozens injured. "There was complete panic." More»

Sri Lankans say security vanished; al-Qaeda may have played role

(NEWSER) - An unexplained gap in scheduling at this week's cricket match in Lahore has led to angry speculation that the gunmen who attacked the Sri Lankan team may have acted on inside information. While the Pakistani and Sri Lankan teams had traveled together on earlier days, the Pakistani team left later on the day of the ambush. "Maybe they knew the information for the right time," said the Sri Lankan captain. More»

Teams cancel Pakistan visits; 20 arrested in attack

(NEWSER) - As Pakistani officials arrested some 20 suspects in yesterday's attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore, new fears emerged that sports events may become a new target for terrorists, reports the Times of London. One international team canceled a trip to Pakistan last night, and the country's plans to co-host cricket's World Cup in 2011 are now in doubt. Fears have also been raised about the 2012 Olympics and their susceptibility to a commando-style attack. More»

Mehsud vows he will attack again in Pakistan and US

(NEWSER) - The head of the Pakistani Taliban and the man accused of masterminding the assassination of Benazir Bhutto has claimed responsibility for yesterday's commando assault on the Lahore police academy and has threatened more attacks, the Times of London reports. Baitullah Mehsud personally called Western news agencies to take credit for the attack instead of issuing a statement through a subordinate. More»