Karachi, Pakistan (June 09, 2014): According to media reports heavily armed persons launched an armed assault on Pakistan’s busiest airport in the southern city of Karachi, leaving at least 21 dead including 10 attackers in a six-hour siege that the army quelled at dawn.
“Explosions and gunfire rang out as the attackers, some dressed in military uniforms, battled security forces in one of the most brazen attacks in years on Pakistan’s biggest city” Hindustan Times (HT) reports.
Authorities said all 10 attackers had been killed and that at least 11 dead bodies including security personnel and two civilians were received by the city’s main Jinnah Hospital.
“Update: Area cleared. No damage to aircraft, fire visible in pics was not plane but a building, now extinguished. All vital assets intact,” military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa said in a tweet.
“According to reports, Tehreek-e-Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.” a Hindustan Times report reads.
The assault forced the closure of the Jinnah International Airport but military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa said it would be ready to resume services later in the day.
On the other hand bizarre accusations were doing rounds on Twitter with tweeples busy presenting their views on the search and rescue operations even as Pakistani security forces battled it out to secure the Karachi international airport.
Times of India (TOI) quoted a tweet as sample how the accusations against India and Narendra Modi were trending on social networking site.
The “sample” quoted by TOI reads: “Breaking News. DG Rangers says Indian made weapons recovered from terrorists | Modi’s name was inscribed in Sanskrit!”.
As per TOI: Jamast-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed … took to Twitter to allege that Narendra Modi’s ‘new security team’ is responsible for the attack on the Karachi airport. Saeed said that Pakistan knew who the ‘real enemy’ was and called on the Pakistani government to ‘show some spine’ and ‘end exchange of gifts with India’.
#KarachiAirport is an attack on Pakistan. Modi’s new security team is behind this act of war by India. Nation knows the real enemy. — Hafiz Muhammad Saeed (@HafizSaeedJUD) June 9, 2014.
JuD chief is wanted in India for being alleged mastermind of 26/11 attacks in India.
It is notable that India and Pakistan has showed signs of resuming diplomatic talks on bilateral relations after Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing in ceremony.