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Gunmen attack police cadet hostel in Quetta, Pakistan Quetta attack: more than 40 Pakistani police cadets killed in hostel raid
(about 2 hours later)
A team of up to six gunmen attacked a hostel that is home to hundreds of police cadets in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Monday night. A team of up to six gunmen killed more than 40 police cadets with guns and suicide bombs at a hostel housing hundreds of recruits in the Pakistani city of Quetta.
A government official said 33 cadets were killed and at least 106 people were injured mostly cadets and some paramilitary troops. Government officials said at least 41 police trainees had been killed and at least 106 people wounded in the attack on Monday night.
The army’s public relations department released a short statement saying five or six militants had attacked the police training centre on Saryab Road in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, a troubled province home to a separatist insurgency and numerous Islamist groups. The army’s public relations department said five or six militants attacked the police training centre on Saryab Road in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, a troubled province home to a separatist insurgency and numerous Islamist groups. Soldiers and members of the Frontier Constabulary, a paramilitary force, responded to the attack, the army said.
An operation was immediately initiated, the army said, with soldiers and members of the Frontier Constabulary, a paramilitary force, dispatched to the scene. The Baluchistan home minister, Sarfaraz Bugti, said on Tuesday morning that security forces had completed their operation but were still engaged in the cleanup process.
Zarak Khan, a rescue worker from the Edhi foundation, said rescuers had only managed to collect security personnel wounded as they tried to fight their way into the compound. “We have still not been able to get access to the inside of the training centre,” he said. He also said the 14km distance between the hostel and the Quetta hospital was hampering the rescue effort. Bugti said that at the time of attack about 700 trainees had been at the base and more than 200 were rescued immediately afterwards.
One young cadet interviewed by local television said he saw two people charge into his hostel, firing indiscriminately. “Their faces were covered and they had guns in their hands,” he said. “I saved my life by rushing to the roof and jumping outside from there.” Major General Sher Afgan, chief of the paramilitary Frontier Corps, told reporters that the attackers appeared to have been in contact with handlers in Afghanistan and suggested they belonged to the banned Lashker-e-Jhangvi, an Islamic militant group affiliated with al-Qaida.
Many of the trainees were killed when the gunmen detonated explosive vests, he said.
“They were rushing toward our building firing shots so we rushed for safety toward the roof and jumped down in the back to save our lives,” one of the police trainees told Geo television.
Zarak Khan, a rescue worker from the Edhi foundation, said rescuers initially collected the wounded among security personnel as they fought their way into the compound. The 14km distance between the hostel and the Quetta hospital hampered the rescue effort.
Most of those being treated at city hospitals had gunshot wounds, although some sustained injuries jumping off the roof of the hostel and climbing a wall to escape the gunmen. Nearly all of the wounded were police; two were paramilitary troops, authorities said.
The Dawn newspaper website reported exchanges of fire between security forces and attackers, with explosions heard around the area. Some local media outlets also ran unconfirmed reports that hostages had been taken.The Dawn newspaper website reported exchanges of fire between security forces and attackers, with explosions heard around the area. Some local media outlets also ran unconfirmed reports that hostages had been taken.
Akbar Sayal, Balochistan’s home secretary, said military and security forces were at the scene but could not share further details. Mobile phone services in the Saryab area shut down shortly after the attack began. Mobile phone services in the Saryab area shut down shortly after the attack began.
Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, the provincial home minister, had earlier tweeted “2 terrorist killed” and “200 plus rescued”. With Associated Press