ATTACK ON POLICE TRAINING CENTER IN LAHORE -- SITREP 1

UNCLAS LAHORE 000064 SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PGOV PK SUBJECT: ATTACK ON POLICE TRAINING CENTER IN LAHORE -- SITREP 1 ¶1. (SBU) Between 20 and 25 unidentified terrorists attacked a police training center in the village of Manawan situated on the main road from Lahore to the Wagah border with India at approximately 7:30 am on March 30. Preliminary reports have placed the number of casualties at 20 with over 100 injured. Unconfirmed media reports quoting "eyewitnesses" state that terrorists dressed as police officers used machine guns and grenades to attack trainees, who were participating in a morning parade. ¶2. (SBU) Following the attack, the terrorists barricaded themselves into the main building of the training academy and are believed to have taken a number of police hostage. Security personnel from the Punjab Police, the Elite Force, the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers, and the Pakistan Army have launched a counterattack on the terrorists in an effort to regain control of the facility. The counterattack has succeeded in creating a security cordon around the main building on the training center ground in which all terrorists and their hostages are now believed to be concentrated. Security personnel are using calculated force out of concern for the fate of hostages being held by the terrorists. Police sources report that the training academy's sizeable arms and munitions storage depot is located inside the building currently controlled by the terrorists, meaning that the situation will likely take considerable time to resolve. ¶3. (SBU) Police sources have been unable to offer any leads into the perpetrators of the attack. Media is linking this attack with the March 3 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team believed to have been perpetrated by the designated terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. However, this link appears to be based solely on the fact that armed gunmen, as opposed to suicide bombers, carried out both attacks. ¶4. (SBU) Leaders from across the Pakistani political spectrum have condemned the attack and called on the Punjab Government to take swift action to resolve the situation. Pakistan's far right politicians and commentators, including the new Jamaat-e-Islami President Munawar Hassan, are claiming foreign (read Indian) involvement in the attack. ¶5. (SBU) Consulate Lahore has confirmed that all personnel are safe and is continuing normal operations. The Consulate held an EAC meeting March 30 (septel) to review the situation and has prohibited all personnel from travel on the road between Lahore and the Wagah Border with India. A warden message to that effect is being coordinated with Embassy Islamabad. SIGNATURE HUNT