Lahore: 80 killed as Ahmadi worship places assailed

At least 80 people were killed while 108 others, including a DSP and three cops, injured as terrorists assailed two Ahmadi worship places with hand grenades and opened indiscriminate firing simultaneously at Garhi Shahu and Model Town in Lahore on Friday. Police managed to overpower the terrorists holed up in the Model Town worship place, whereas SSP (Operations) told the reporters that Ahmadi worship place in Garhi Shahu has also been cleared of after operation. Police said two suicide jackets and eight hand grenades were also recovered from the scene. At least 70 people have been killed in both the attacks, Sajjad Bhutta, the top city administrative official in Lahore, told reporters. Doctor Rizwan Nasir, head of the rescue 1122 in Lahore, said 108 people were wounded as police continued to search for any remaining attackers. One terrorist also was arrested in the operation. Heavy contingents of police rushed the site, while Rangers were also called in to take control of the situation. The injured have been shifted to hospitals; the number of wounded have not been ascertained so far. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (Punjab Wing) claimed responsibility of the attacks. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the incidents would generate greater resolve to combat extremism.It's a reminder to the nation that Pakistan will achieve its destiny only after we get rid of the worst type of extremism and fundamentalism, he told a news conference. The entire nation will fight this evil. Punjab's Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the arrested attacker was not a Punjabi. He said the attacker seems to be a Pashtun and possibly had a link to Waziristan. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it had warned of threats against the Ahmadi community centre in Lahore for more than a year and demanded foolproof security and protection from the government. It expressed concern over the increasing sectarian dimension of militancy in Pakistan, which it called a big security threat to the entire society. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, MQM leader Altaf Hussain and other key political leaders have condemned the attacks on Ahmadi worship places in Lahore and said that worship places of all the sects and minorities should be respected.