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20 Killed in Siege at Pakistan Police School
Paramilitary forces are locked in gun battle with attackers
By Ambreen Ali
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Posted Mar 30, 09 2:45 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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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."
The gunmen took positions on the roof of the two-story building and began firing indiscriminately, and are holding hostages, the BBC reports. Local TV footage shows uniformed officers fleeing amid sprawled bodies. The training center is located close to the Indian border just miles from the spot where the Sri Lankan cricket team was ambushed earlier this month. The attacks are similar, but no one has yet claimed responsibility for the assault on the police academy, officials said.