Sophisticated Attack by Gunmen in Lahore

Usually when Pakistan makes headlines, I write home to friends and family and I’m able to tell them something like, “Don’t worry, that attack happened somewhere really far away.” “It was near the Afghan border, and I’m not planning on going there so don’t worry.” “Karachi is a 24-hour drive from Lahore.”

When things happen in Lahore, I can usually comfort people with, “Oh that was on the other side of the city. People don’t protest in my area.”

Well today I don’t have any excuses, as the sophisticated attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team happened just a mile from where I work. Twelve highly organized gunmen came at the cricket team from four different directions as they moved towards Qaddafi Stadium. The stadium is in central Lahore, and one of the entrances is on Ferozepur Road. It’s a place I’ve gone several times for different events, and the stadium’s location near the Daewoo bus station makes it somewhere that we often find ourselves driving past. Qaddafi stadium is smack in the middle of busy areas of Lahore; it is not located in some out of the way place. At least five policemen were killed in the attack and several players were injured. Two players from Sri Lanka are in the hospital, and the rest were evacuated by military helicopter from Qaddafi Stadium.

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Gunmen Attack Sri Lanka Cricket Team in Lahore