LAHORE: Six members of the Sri Lankan cricket squad were wounded when around a dozen gunmen attacked their bus as it drove under police escort on Tuesday to a stadium in the Pakistani city of Lahore, witnesses and officials said.
Lahore Police chief Habib-ur-Rehman said five people were killed in the attack by the unidentified gunmen, who fired AK 47s and rockets and hurled grenades as the team bus drove to the 60,000-seater Gaddafi stadium in the eastern city.
Sri Lankan media, quoting the sports minister, said five players, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavithana and Mahela Jayawardene, and an assistant coach were wounded.
"We are assessing the situation," Pakistan cricket board chief Ejaz Butt said.
Team captain Mahela Jayawardene's father said his son had just called his wife from Lahore to say that he too had suffered minor injuries in his leg during the attack that shocked the nation.
One explosion was also heard at the stadium. The attackers later escaped in separate groups. The liaison officer of the Pakistan team said players of the host nation have been sent back to the hotel.
"The Sri Lankan players are presently safe at the Gaddafi stadium and they are getting treatment," one PCB official said.
The Lahore second Test between Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan has been called off, a Sri Lankan cricket board official said.
"We are trying to bring the team back as quickly as possible. The Test match has been cancelled," the official said on Tuesday.
Unidentified gunmen attacked the bus taking the Sri Lankan cricket squad and its police escort to a cricket stadium in Lahore, according to witnesses and cricket officials.
Five policemen have also been killed as the police van escorting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore was fired upon. Confirms the police chief in Lahore.
Sources also claimed that the police had received a threat on Monday that the Sri Lankan team would be attacked so a different route was used to transport the team to the stadium.
Source:http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/News/News/Samaraweera-Sangakkara-injured-in-shootout/articleshow/4215879.cms
Lahore Police chief Habib-ur-Rehman said five people were killed in the attack by the unidentified gunmen, who fired AK 47s and rockets and hurled grenades as the team bus drove to the 60,000-seater Gaddafi stadium in the eastern city.
Sri Lankan media, quoting the sports minister, said five players, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavithana and Mahela Jayawardene, and an assistant coach were wounded.
"We are assessing the situation," Pakistan cricket board chief Ejaz Butt said.
Team captain Mahela Jayawardene's father said his son had just called his wife from Lahore to say that he too had suffered minor injuries in his leg during the attack that shocked the nation.
One explosion was also heard at the stadium. The attackers later escaped in separate groups. The liaison officer of the Pakistan team said players of the host nation have been sent back to the hotel.
"The Sri Lankan players are presently safe at the Gaddafi stadium and they are getting treatment," one PCB official said.
The Lahore second Test between Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan has been called off, a Sri Lankan cricket board official said.
"We are trying to bring the team back as quickly as possible. The Test match has been cancelled," the official said on Tuesday.
Unidentified gunmen attacked the bus taking the Sri Lankan cricket squad and its police escort to a cricket stadium in Lahore, according to witnesses and cricket officials.
Five policemen have also been killed as the police van escorting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore was fired upon. Confirms the police chief in Lahore.
Sources also claimed that the police had received a threat on Monday that the Sri Lankan team would be attacked so a different route was used to transport the team to the stadium.
Source:http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/News/News/Samaraweera-Sangakkara-injured-in-shootout/articleshow/4215879.cms
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