Taliban claim deadly attack on Karachi airport

[Shadow_Hunter]

At least someone in Pakistan is taking some responsibility. Pakistani government should learn from Taliban.

 

[niaz]

It amazes me that so many of my countrymen insist on living in a state of denial It may have been US’s war after 9/11 but it is our war now. Karachi airport is a glaring example of that despite having lost 50,000 Pakistan in a war; we still don’t really know who our enemy really is.

Let us look at what is known.

- TT claimed that they carried out the attacks is revenge of such and such actions of Pak Army

Shahidullah Shahid threatens that there would more of the same.

- IMU proclaimed that the attack was actually carried out by their cadre. IMU even publishes photographs of the terrorists who took part.

However, some in the media as well as DG Rangers are indirectly blaming India. Do we intend to go to war against India as India threatened after Bombay attacks?

I dislike Indian presumption of regional super power status and detest butcher Modi as much as any other Pakistani. But cannot see how any rational thinking person will ignore the self- admitting culprits and go after a perceived enemy?

Indian origin vaccine and Indian made arms don’t really signify much. These could have been supplied by Afghan Intelligence or stolen from Afghan Army stores. First time I laid my eyes on ‘Uzi’ was the Darra Adam Khel Arms Bazar. Surely Israel did not supply Uzi sub-machine gun to Pakistani arms dealers.

Indian media especially the butcher Modi tend to blame Pakistan each time they hear a Canary fart. Must we follow the same idiotic line and hide our incompetency by blaming CIA & RAW on everything we are unable to prevent?

I am certain that India, CIA & Afghan Intelligence is providing some support to the anti-state groups in Pakistan. At the same time it has been as open secret that Saudi Arabia and some Gulf countries had been funding anti-Shia LEJ to kill off Pakistan’s Shias population. I only hear murmurs of this in the media but that’s all.

We are unable to cope with TTP; nevertheless one member of this forum wants us to go to war with the US for killing our enemies! He offers bangles to shame jawans of Pak Army for their cowardice! Wouldn’t this accomplish TTP aim of destroying State of Pakistan?

There are very few foreign airlines landing at Karachi. After Cathay Pacific eliminated Karachi from their route, Emirates is the only foreign airline of note to land at Karachi. Do want Pakistan' industrial hub to be cut off from international links?

Unless we don’t eliminate cancer of sectarianism and extremism from our country; there will be no peace in Pakistan and without peace there cannot be economic progress. This cannot happen unless we realize that at this point of time our deadliest enemies are TTP and their allies such as LeJ and the foreign fighters. We can survive with an anti-Pakistan butcher Modi as Indian premier, but we cannot survive with Taliban scum and their supporters constantly attacking our airports and military installations.

 

[Marshmallow]

Yes they did , 18 precious lives were lost , mayhem and chaos ensued for whole 6 hours , the airport had to be crossed and the image of the country dented once again and all despite we had intelligence of terrorists planning attack on sensitive installations which was something beyond the intellectual capability of entire Sindh Govt and its apparatus with the CM insisting that the warning didn't mention " airport " .

 

[Always Neutral]

Taliban claim deadly attack on Karachi airport
The Pakistani Taliban have said they were behind an attack at the country's largest airport that killed at least 28 people, including 10 militants.

The raid began late on Sunday at a terminal used for cargo and VIP flights at Karachi international airport.

Following reports of fresh violence early on Monday, airport officials said the siege was now over and flights were set to resume in the afternoon.

Karachi has been a target for many attacks by the Taliban.

A spokesman for the group, Shahidullah Shahid, said Monday's assault was "a message to the Pakistan government that we are still alive to react over the killings of innocent people in bomb attacks on their villages".

The dead terminal staff were said to be mostly security guards from the Airport Security Force (ASF) but also airline workers. At least 14 people were wounded.

Analysts say the attack further undermines Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's attempt at initiating peace talks with the Taliban.

The negotiations have made little headway since February. Critics have argued that they could allow the militants to regroup and gain strength.

Great Work for being honest atleast

 

[niaz]

A rational article about militancy in Karachi and links of IMU with TTP.

Militant cells in Karachi
By Editorial

MUCH before the terrorists stormed Karachi airport late Sunday night, a debate had been going on about the level of militants’ penetration of the metropolis. On one end were proponents (such as the MQM) of the idea that a TTP takeover of Karachi was imminent. On the other end the sceptics claimed that this was little more than ethnic scaremongering. But in the aftermath of the airport assault, the debate has gained critical importance. It appears that while Karachi may not quite be on the point of falling to extremist militants, ignoring the threat further can have devastating consequences. Karachi is a melting pot of languages, cultures and ethnicities, where it is relatively easy for the potential militant to melt away into the urban sprawl, attaching himself to tribal or ethnic affiliates. Perhaps this is why in the years since 9/11, several terrorist cells have been busted in the city. Some high-profile Al Qaeda and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi militants have been apprehended from the metropolis. Hence the disturbing possibility that operatives of the outlawed TTP are lying in wait for an opportune moment to strike is not one that should be dismissed easily. Militants from the tribal areas and KP have practically disabled the ANP in Karachi. Instead of the secular Pakhtun nationalists, in many of the city’s peripheral areas with large Pakhtun populations it is the TTP that calls the shots.

Furthermore, with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan officially claiming the airport assault, a new, equally ruthless and determined player has been added to the militancy mix in Karachi. While Uzbek militants were believed to be involved in 2011’s Mehran base attack, their claim of responsibility reflects a new confidence in now publicly owning strikes. Unfortunately, although the militants have been consolidating their positions in Karachi, the security apparatus appears to have buried its head in the sand. What is worse is the blame game between the Sindh and federal governments over the airport debacle that reflects poorly on both administrations. Both Sindh and the centre are equally to blame. While Islamabad deserves to be censured for a massive intelligence failure, the Sindh government also had its eyes closed. From here on, the intelligence apparatus will need to do a much better job of keeping track of militant activities in Karachi. Despite its difficulties, this is a challenge the state has to accept. Otherwise, we will ignore the militant threat at our own peril.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2014

Militant cells in Karachi - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

I would like to stress that I am not ignoring or discounting foreign involvement. My point is that our foreign enemies need co-operation of anti-state elements within our midst to carry out their nefarious designs. On the other hand our politicians and security agencies hide their negligence behind the excuse of “Foreign” involvement.

For example, no action has been taken against LeJ & SSP despite their butchery of the Hazara community and of Shia’s in general. Mainly because SSP has one of their staunch supporters in Rana Sana Ullah of PML-N! Additionally, LeJ enjoys widespread support among the rank & file of the Takfiri/Deobandi mullahs. The same LEJ is allied with the TTP and it would be logical to assume that TTP & IMU may have used LeJ cadre to provide assistance in their Karachi airport attack. If RAW was providing arms to IMU, it follows that LeJ were indirectly helping our arch enemy.

It is therefore an absolute must that we clean up our house and eliminate enemies from within; for without that we wouldn’t be able to combat our external enemies.