Terrorists wanted to take senior officers hostage: ISPR

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISHFAQULLAH SHAWL
ISLAMABAD (October 13 2009): The main target of terrorists was to take the senior military leaders hostage to get their detained accomplices released, said Major General Athar Abbas, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), here on Monday. "They sent their demands for the release of all their accomplices after making people hostage at GHQ," Abbas said while briefing the media about the details of the operation against terrorists after they attacked the GHQ at 11.30 am on Saturday.

The DG ISPR said the terrorists had failed in attaining their desired goals by attacking the GHQ, as the Pakistan Army responded quickly. Abbas said the conspiracy regarding the GHQ attack was hatched in the South Waziristan. "We have intercepted a conversation of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Waliur Rehman asking someone to pray for success as 'Fidayeen' attack on the GHQ has started," he added.

He expressed fear that TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud could be alive. "Apparently it looks that he is alive, as many videos are pointing towards this," Abbas said. When asked about the launch of a military operation in the South Waziristan, the military spokesman said the army had taken "principle decision" to launch operation in restive South Waziristan, as this area had become breeding ground for terrorists. But, he added, the government would finally decide the time of offensive.

"It will be decided in the best interest of the nation as more than 80 per cent suicide attacks were planned in Waziristan," he maintained. Responding to a question about the presence of Taliban in southern Punjab, the ISPR chief said splinter groups of defunct Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were working on their own and their main training centre was South Waziristan, adding that out of 9 terrorists five were from Waziristan, while remaining four were from different parts of Punjab.

He said Punjab was a developed area hence there was presence of security forces in different shapes and it was not possible for splinter groups of Jaish and Lashkar to work openly so they were working in Bajaur, Swat and Waziristan. Abbas said the terrorists who attacked the GHQ were highly trained fighters equipped with sophisticated weapons, explosives, mines and suicide jackets, but the commandos of the Pakistan Army successfully overpowered them.

He said there was information regarding the attack and the Pakistan Army had made security arrangements, which helped in averting huge loss. "Rawalpindi is more than a century old garrison, where civilian population is spread alongside GHQ and it is not possible to close roads for traffic. Mall is few yards away from main gate of GHQ," he opined.

When asked about the re-launch of construction work on GHQ complex in Islamabad, Athar Abbas said the work on this project was postponed, not abandoned, due to lack of resources and there was no idea when work on the project would restart.

Abbas said the Commandos of Anti Terrorist Task Force of Special Services Group (SSG) rescued 39 hostages, out of 42, in a daybreak swoop early Sunday, as terrorist assault on GHQ with sophisticated weapons followed 18-hour hostage-taking drama, which left 19 people dead.

The operation 'Janbaz' first phase lasted for 40 minutes in which 22 hostages, who were held in a small room of security office with one terrorist wearing suicide jacket, were freed. The commandos tactfully killed the terrorist to avert loss of life. After seeing his fate, mastermind Aqeel alias Dr Usman managed to escape and tried to deploy the explosives, but he was nabbed in injured condition, he added.

Those who perished in nearly 24-hour stand-off included eight security personnel, as many terrorists and three hostages with forces capturing alive the mastermind Aqeel, he said, adding that rescued hostages were in good health. Seven hostages were civilian, while remaining were security officials.

He said Brigadier Anwar and Lieutenant Colonel Waseem were from security staff and they came out after they heard firing and in confusion they came face to face with terrorists who shot them dead.

To a question regarding the delay in launching the rescue operation of hostages, Abbas said, "We were waiting for inside information and locations of terrorists to evolve a safe strategy to rescue hostages, which we did." To a question, Athar Abbas termed Malakand operation as a success saying that with the active support of local people the Pakistan Army succeeded in wiping out terrorists.

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