GHQ Check-Post Attackers Killed - Hostages Rescued!

[DaRk WaVe]

Pak Punjab CID had warned of GHQ attack in July

Lahore, Oct.11 - ANI: An intelligence report of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has revealed that the Punjab Police had warned concerned authorities on July 15 that terrorists might launch an attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

According to sources, CID (Punjab) had forwarded a report regarding the impeding threat to the Punjab Home Department and other law enforcement agencies.

The report revealed that banned terror organizations such as the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) were planning to target the Army Headquarters.

It also said that militants dressed in army uniform would try to force their way into the GHQ through a wall, which they would demolish using massive explosives.

Meanwhile, Pakistans Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rana Sanaullah has warned that militants could now target public places instead of politicians and government establishments.

Talking to media persons outside the Punjab Assembly, Sanaullah said the government is prepared to handle any terror threat.

He said the government has decided to double the number of security personnel and field policemen in plain clothes, The Daily Times reports. - ANI
---------------------------------------------------------
As Taimkhan said that intention was not to give a 'message', they meant some serious business, So many explosives & weapons are not worth wasting on a 'message', something BIG was planned for sure..

 

[Goodperson]

If their intention as not entering the GHQ then one suicide bombing or 1 or 2 guys would have been more then enough to send a message.

But as said before, sending 9 guys, was one serious attempt to get inside and do more havoc. Sending 9 fully trained resources with months in training & planning is not just for messages, its for a serious business.

Yes, rightly said its their last ditch attempts to somehow either delay the operation by changing the sentiment of the nation & show the people they can still strike. But its backfiring.

And as for Kabul Attack, first of all (I may be wrong) it was near the Indian Embassy but not near enough to be called an attack on the Indian Embassy. It went in a market near the Indian Embassy. No Indians killed, no Security guards stationed near the embassy killed, no vehicle of the embassy targeted. So i don't think it should be rightly called an attack on the Indian Embassy. But difference of opinion does exists.

And also, the Kabul attack was done by the Afghan Taliban & this done by the TTP, who have very huge differences. In no way they would be connected.

Both incidents highly regrettable as except for innocent life lost, nothing else achieved.

3 days back too, 50+ killed among them children & women in a suicide blast in Peshawar.

Hope so this menace is finished soon.

This was well planned attack done after much pattern study and homework. IMO such plans are not carried out for 1 or 2 persons on suicide mission. GHQ area is heavily fortified. They used @10 persons
as fallback plan to account for surprises in their mission.

The Kabul attack might not have killed Indians but it did make headlines and it served their purpose. The two incidents may or may not be related but one thing is common "the terrorists". One could relate the incidents as if to divert attention of PA.

How can one say Kabul attack was carried out by Afghan Taliban ? Especially when they do not have to encounter Indians nor Indian are militarily involved in Afghanistan.

True lots of innocent lives are lost but terrorist did show that they can attack heart of Pakistan's defense.

 

[DaRk WaVe]

True lots of innocent lives are lost but terrorist did show that they can attack heart of Pakistan's defense.

thats what they wanted but i personally think, they planned something big, now wait & see the media assault

 

[TalibanSwatter]

the US, S/Arabia and we r responsible for their training - remember in another time they were the mujahideen fighting the soviets - we r responsible for these "Scum of the earth", and now that they have bitten the hand that fed them, its best to finish them off - forever !!!

You hit the nail on the head - We are paying for our sins.

AP News

In its brazenness and sophistication, Saturday's assault resembled attacks in March in the eastern city of Lahore by teams of militants against the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team and a police training center, which the insurgents took over for eight hours before security forces retook it.

The attack began shortly before noon when the gunmen attacked the main gate with assault rifles and grenades after bundling out of a white van that reportedly had army license plates.

After a 45-minute gunfight, four of the attackers were killed, said Abbas, who initially told the Geo television news channel that the assault was over and the situation "under full control."

But more than an hour later, gunshots rang out from the headquarters compound, and Abbas then confirmed that other gunmen had eluded security forces and slipped into the compound.

A police intelligence report obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday had warned in July that members of the Taliban along with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group based in the country's Punjab province, were planning to attack army headquarters after disguising themselves as soldiers. The report was given to the AP by an official in the home affairs ministry in Punjab's home department.

Officials said Saturday that they had raided a house in the capital where the attackers were believed to have stayed. They found military uniforms and bomb-making equipment.

 

[MAB]

Good that this thing is over.

 

[faisal4pro]

Pakistan Army Zindabad! I hope there wil be clear investigations of this incident!

 

[DaRk WaVe]

Pakistan army raid frees hostages

Pakistani security forces have freed more than 40 hostages who were being held by militants at an army base in Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad.


Military officials said three hostages were killed in the operation along with at least four hostage-takers, one of whom was wearing an explosives belt.

One insurgent was wounded but arrested alive. Military officials say the operation is now over.

The insurgents had attacked Pakistan's military HQ on Saturday.

Six soldiers and four militants were killed in the initial assault.

"The operation is over. It was highly successful," military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told Pakistani television.

"The situation is now totally under control. The entire area has been cleared. There are no terrorists inside," he said.
'Very skilled'

The sound of blasts and gunfire rang out as Pakistani special forces entered the compound for the pre-dawn raid.

Gen Abbas said the forces had met resistance in what he described as a "very skilled" operation.

They found the hostages being held in a room "with a terrorist who was wearing a suicide jacket", he said.

Gen Abbas said the commandos had "acted promptly" and shot the suspected hostage taker "before he could pull the trigger".

"Three of the hostages were killed due to militant firing," Reuters quoted him as saying.

Senior military officials and civilian personnel were reported to be among the hostages.

The attack came as the army was preparing for a major operation against the Taliban, and officials said the militant group had claimed responsibility.

The Taliban had been threatening to carry out attacks unless operations against it were stopped.

Witnesses said that the gunmen had driven up to the army compound in a white van just before midday local time (0600 GMT) on Saturday.

They took up positions, fired on the compound and threw hand grenades, security officials said.

The military reported that the attack had been repelled after a gun battle lasting around 45 minutes but later admitted hostages had been taken.

The attack followed a series of bombings in north-western Pakistan. On Friday at least 50 died in a blast in Peshawar.

In recent days Taliban positions in the tribal areas have been bombed by the air force, amid speculation that the army's offensive there is soon to be intensified, says the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Islamabad.

There was a period of relative quiet in August after Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed, but the rate of militant attacks has increased since then, he adds.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the government now had "no other option but to launch an offensive" in the insurgent stronghold of South Waziristan.

"What happened in Peshawar, Islamabad and today, all roads lead to South Waziristan," he said.

Islamist militants have carried out a number of attacks against high-profile, high-security targets in recent years.

In March this year gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team in the city of Lahore. Six policemen and a driver were killed and several of the team were injured.

In the same month, dozens of people were killed when a police training centre on the outskirts of the city was occupied by gunmen.

 

[TaimiKhan]

This was well planned attack done after much pattern study and homework. IMO such plans are not carried out for 1 or 2 persons on suicide mission. GHQ area is heavily fortified. They used @10 persons
as fallback plan to account for surprises in their mission.

The Kabul attack might not have killed Indians but it did make headlines and it served their purpose. The two incidents may or may not be related but one thing is common "the terrorists". One could relate the incidents as if two divert attention of PA.

How can one say Kabul attack was carried out by Afghan Taliban ? Especially when they do not have to encounter Indians nor Indian are militarily involved in Afghanistan.

True lots of innocent lives are lost but terrorist did show that they can attack heart of Pakistan's defense.

Its not just about Indian military involvement. The Afghan Taliban would are against anyone who is their in a military role or as a non-military role. Military ones are occupying Afghanistan, while the non-military ones are playing a different role, both of which gives problems to Afghanistan.

An unsuccessful attack on the heart of Pakistan Defense. Pentagon was attacked, Green zone in Baghdad was attacked, American occupational forces many bases have been attacked, other nations important & less important military installations & people have been attacked, this is the nature of COIN or terrorist attacks.

Such attacks can't be stopped until a credible intelligence is received & counter measures taken.

The main thing to be seen is was the attack successful or not, which is was not. That's success for the security forces.

 

[vkurian]

Nice to know the ordeal has ended.....

Pakistanis all over the world might be relived thanks to the brave men in uniform who go in knowing very well that they may not make it back......be it India or Pakistan it is the same. Let us all take a moment to applaud this brave men & their families of our countries who are the unsung heroes of all operations like this. Also my heart goes out to the innocent victims who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

These terrorist rats know very well they will not be able to even put a small scratch on a nation by such dastardly acts .It can be only money or wrong religious indoctrination that motivates this young men who otherwise would have led a normal life like any one of us.

Question:What motivates these young men and why they fall victim to such evil plans?

Another refreshing change as I was going thru all the post is that there is a realization among Pakistani brothers that there is more to this than India and war mongering.

Friends I don't expect all of you to agree with me but it’s a fact time has come for self introspection. We can agree to disagree and live with upmost hate for each other. I think it is OK to have difference of opinion all or some of our bilateral issues.

These terrorist have not dropped from the skies suddenly they were bred & buttered in so called safe heavens within your boundaries as a strategic asset. You can call it by any name you like. You can't say 'X' group is fine and 'Y' group is bad coz they don't obey the masters any more. Be it Taliban or LET or any other non state actors they are two different sides of the same coin. Time has come to call a spade a spade.The state of continuous denial that you are in is starting to affect your collective consciousness.

You have a point of view that Kashmir should be yours....point taken but India also has a point of view maybe not to your liking. Let us play the diplomatic game and take it to all the world forums. Isn't it better to do that rather than color our hands with blood of innocent people on both side of the border? You may call them terrorist, freedom fighters, dehshet gard, fundamentalist or anything else to suit your purpose depending on which side of the border they carry out the deplorable violent acts. You must understand you can no longer run with the hare and hunt with the hound.

Question: Has the time come for Pakistan to have a rethink on its Kashmir policy of infiltration?

I am not questioning the objective only the process to get to the objective.

If anyone in Pakistan feels India is involved in any anti national activities in Pakistan they have every right to react to it. India has to be the change that it expects from Pakistan. If any evidence is found bring it in public domain and in world forums. We Indians have paid a heavy price for our support to LTTE and leant from our mistakes. Our presence in Afghanistan should not be seen as anti Pakistan. Do any one of you remember the Kandahar hijack, how the hijackers and the released terrorist walked into Pakistan in full media glare after that it is only legitimate that we try to have friendly government in Afghanistan. That in no way means Pakistan can't be friendly to that government.

If Pakistan was a responsible state of the international community it would have captured the hijackers and terrorist and tried them in Pakistan. Then we would have factored in all Pakistani concerns related to our presence in Afghanistan. Look at the arrest fiasco related to Hafeez sayeed he is being painted as an angel by different people in Pakistan. Five years from now when LET a strategic asset now runs amok the same people will call him by different names. Please friends understand I hate India is not equal to I love Pakistan.

As an outsider I would say stop the drone attacks at any cost and let army launch a massive operation flush up. Stop the free trade and use of guns in Pakistan be it tradition or whatever. Improve the literacy rate and focus on employment guarantee schemes for the youth. Kick start the economy and make the country safe to attract international investment. Have a strong army, navy and air force to safe guard the country and no one else should be in this business. Make the democratic institutions of the country strong and weed out corruption. Please stop questioning your own government as you had the same to say for the previous regime (a dictator). You can be critical of their style of functioning but don’t question their mandate. Time, patience and oneness of thought will be of essence here.

I don't see why Pakistan can't be a strong, resurgent & confident nation in the near future and as an Indian I will be happy to see a strong and friendly Pakistan.

Note: Please any constructive criticism or difference of opinion is welcome and it was never my motive to hurt any Pakistani in any way.

 

[pakomar]

ALLAH O AKBAR
PAKISTAN ARMY ZINDABAD
PAKISTAN PAINDABAD
any information any soldier died during the hostage rescue.

 

[pakomar]

some source say that 3 died during storming the building.

 

[Silverfalcon]

Schoolchildren walk past the main entrance of Pakistan’s army headquarters after the heavily armed militant attack in Rawalpindi. - Photo by AFP

As assaults go, they don’t come more audacious than this. Attacking the army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi, an assault that entailed the taking of several hostages by militants and that was continuing late into the night, sends a signal that the Taliban are alive and kicking and will not go down without a fight. But is this attack, in which there have been fatalities both among the militants and the military personnel, a statement of intent or a sign of desperation? Are the militants flexing their muscles from a position of strength or lashing out like rabid animals trapped in a corner?

Not even the most optimistic of militants could have hoped that the assailants would be able to enter the GHQ itself and carry out a precision attack without being liquidated in the process.

The attack on the GHQ appears to be a symbolic gesture aimed at demoralising the people of Pakistan who have wholeheartedly thrown their weight behind the battle against militancy and obscurantism. The message is this: if the army headquarters is vulnerable, no one is safe. Even so, considering the developments, perhaps it will be some time before it is clear whether the attack was one born out of desperation or meticulously planned.

Whatever the case, the need to improve security and intelligence systems cannot be overstated. Unlike the bomb blast in Peshawar on Friday, the GHQ attack bears all the hallmarks of the Taliban, who have traditionally targeted symbols of the state, westerners, NGOs and members of the Shia community.

In Rawalpindi, civilians at large do not appear to have been the intended targets, although there are reports of some being taken hostage. The gunmen took on security personnel, just as their kind did in attacks on police training centres in Lahore and Mingora. According to the ISPR, the information wing of the armed forces, the TTP orchestrated the GHQ attack. More attacks may be forthcoming in the weeks to come, and the state must be in a position to nip such assaults in the bud.

It is clear that the Taliban and their affiliates are feeling the pressure of the military offensive and a national consensus in favour of the ongoing operation in the northwest. They are getting desperate, which is all the more reason why they should be hit hard as soon as possible with all the force the state can muster. The Taliban’s supporters in the political arena are few and far between, and they stand discredited. Pakistan’s citizenry, though anti-American in large part, appears to be overwhelmingly anti-Taliban as well. The time is right for an all-out assault on militancy.

 

[TalibanSwatter]

Dawn News

ISLAMABAD: The band of armed terrorists that made its way through the outer security ring of the GHQ complex knew they will not be able to come out alive from the heavily guarded military headquarters.

Caught in a highly tricky hostage situation, the security agencies may take a while in revealing the identities of the attackers or the group they belonged to. But one thing is clear: these were no ‘misguided youngsters’ indoctrinated by fanatics to carry out suicide attacks.

They were highly trained terrorists who excelled in the art of making an impact through their armed attack on a chosen target. If there are similarities they are with last year’s attacks on the police training centre at Manawan, near Lahore, and the attempt to take Sri Lankan cricketers hostage in the Punjab capital.

In both those incidents, groups of highly trained and motivated armed men launched attacks with a view to inflicting heavy damage, take a few hostages, and either die while attempting to do so or escape.

Compared with the ‘suicide attack’ in Pakistani ‘jihadi’ parlance, such terror operations are often referred to as ‘fidayeen attacks’. The description is often reflective of differences in religious beliefs.

A couple of extremist groups believe ‘suicide bombing’ was not as holy as the ‘fidayeen attack’ since in the latter case, the person instead of blowing himself up dies while fighting his adversary. These two strands of Islamic militant movement had become quite obvious at the height of the armed insurgency in Indian-held Kashmir. It is also a preferred method amongst a couple of sectarian militant groups or those involved in Afghanistan, although they also use suicide bombing as one of the tactics against their opponents.

Some of the Pakistan-based pro-Kashmir groups, after being banned or declared terrorist organisations in the post-9/11 scenario, instead of completely winding up their operations or disbanding, either split up or turned against the Pakistani government and the security establishment.

Since then a series of terrorist attacks away from the border region and within Pakistan were the work of these enraged but highly trained militants.

These terror strikes also included a series of organised attacks against the then president and the army chief General Pervez Musharraf, who was accused by the religious extremists of being the main obstacle in the way of what many militants believed was a ‘jihad’. During this period such splinter factions also started regrouping, re-align and reorganise, mainly by finding refuge in places like Waziristan and Malakand. Some parts of southern Punjab also emerged as sanctuaries of such militants and a new nexus was created between Al Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban, and tribal militants in the form of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and the so-called Punjabi Taliban.

It was also during this period when one started to hear names of all kinds of groups from Harkatul Mujhaideen al-Alami during 2002 and 2003 to groups like Jamia Hafsa Brigade in the Malakand region. And if a claim made by one of the callers to a private channel holds any weight, a new group calling itself Tehrik-i-Taliban (Amjad Farooqui group) was behind the latest attack. Farooqui was the mastermind of one of the major attacks on Gen Musharraf in Dec 2003 and was later killed in a bloody clash with security forces in Nawabshah.

Factions of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Jaish-i-Mohammed have also joined ranks with the Waziristan-based TTP, mainly to use their territory to carry out attacks within Pakistan. They are also the groups who have within them a large number of people who have come to be known as the ‘Punjabi Taliban’, and have direct links with militants in various parts of the country, stretching from Islamabad to Karachi. Many of them are highly trained former ‘jihadis’ from the conflict zones of Kashmir and Afghanistan, often preferring to fight it out rather then blowing themselves up in suicide attacks.

A few cells of such ‘fidayeen’ groups were busted by the military and civilian intelligence agencies in recent weeks in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. But it seems there are still a few active or sleeper cells, determined to carry out attacks at an opportune moment. Perhaps the attack on the GHQ may prove to be a watershed that compels the security and civilian establishment, as well as most of the opposition groups, to realise that the time to distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ religious militants or Taliban was over, and a consensus was needed to confront all such groups as enemies of the state.

 

[Silverfalcon]

Right now the least we can do is to declare neutrality in Afghanistan.

 

[TaimiKhan]

Right now the least we can do is to declare neutrality in Afghanistan.

And what do you mean by that ??