Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Pakistani forces take control of police center

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, March 30,IRNA - Pakistani security forces Monday took control a police training center near the city of Lahore after eight-hour gun-battle with the militants, who later blew themselves up to avoid arrest, officials said.

Armed men entered a police training center at 7:30 a.m., and threw hand grenades and opened fire at the policemen who were busy in a parade in the center, police said.

The security forces had earlier arrested one of the suspected attackers, who was heading to three military helicopters to blow them up with hand grenades, officials said.

The group of militants fought with hundreds of soldiers and police from inside the building of the police training center at Manwala area, some 20 kilometers from Lahore.

“We have managed to clear the police training center of all terrorists. The Pakistan army, paramilitary force and the elite police took part in the operation,” Interior Advisor Rehman Malik said.

Malik said a number of terrorists were overpowered by the security forces and some terrorists were shot dead during the operation.

“It was attack on Pakistan and not only on the police school,” he said. Pakistani police are not well-trained to deal with the militants. He said that four terrorists were shot dead and one was arrested earlier.

The elite police entered the school building after fierce gun-battle with the armed militants and raised slogans ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ (God is great). They also fired in the air to celebrate victory over the militants.

Ambulances were allowed inside the training center after the fighting was over to shift the dead bodies of the policemen, witnesses said.

Provincial Police chief said several dead bodies are lying inside the building and they are being collected.

The forces launched a major search of the building to fully clear the building.