Pakistan releases sketches of four suspects

Pakistani police released sketches of four of the terrorists involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team as television channels aired footage of some of the attackers coolly leaving the scene of the assault.

The sketches, prepared from descriptions provided by witnesses, depicted four young men. One was clean shaven while the three others had mustaches and a slight beard or stubble.

The sketches were released by police in Lahore a day after the brazen attack on the Lankan team’s bus killed eight persons and injured over 20 others, including seven players and a coach.

Officials said the attack was carried out by a dozen heavily armed terrorists. Police have detained about 50 suspects but have been unable to make any breakthrough in their investigation. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Television channels also aired footage from closed circuit cameras that showed at least five of the attackers calmly leaving the area near the Liberty traffic roundabout, where the terrorists attacked the cricket team’s bus and its police escort. 

In one clip, a youth on a motorcycle is shown riding into a market near the roundabout where most of the shops are closed. Two terrorists brandishing guns soon joined the youth and all three drove away from the market on the motorcycle.

The second clip showed three more terrorists carrying assault rifles and backpacks calmly walking down the road in the same market. Two of these three terrorists – one wearing a brown shalwar kameez and the other clad in jeans and a jacket – had been filmed on Tuesday by a TV news channel while firing at policemen.

Not a single policeman can be seen in the two clips though officials had said that strict security arrangements had been made for all movements of the Sri Lankan team.