Lankan cricket attackers of 2009 shot dead by Lahore Police: Report

 Four Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) terrorists who were allegedly involved in the 2009 attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team were shot dead today by Pakistani police in Lahore, the Press Trust of India reported.

Seven terrorists attacked a CID team in Manawan area of Lahore where offices of the department are located,  the Crime Investigation Department of Punjab police, were quoted as saying in the report.

"The police team which came under attack of terrorists returned the fire, killing four of them on the spot while the remaining three managed to escape by taking advantage of darkness," a CID spokesperson said. He said the police have launched a search operation in Lahore and they had pleaded not guilty.

The ATC had already declared two other suspects - Mohsin Rasheed and Abdul Rehman - proclaimed offenders.

LeJ chief Malik Ishaq, the alleged mastermind of the attack, was killed last year in an encounter with the CID.

In March 2009, a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team was attacked by the Taliban and LeJ terrorists with sophisticated weapons and grenades at Liberty Chowk, near Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Members of the media gather around a bus, which was carrying the Lankan cricket team, parked outside the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore March 3, 2009. REUTERS

Seven players including the then captain Mahela Jayawaredene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana and Chaminda Vaas were injured, while six Pakistani policemen escorting the team were killed in the attack.