Terror attack footage exposes security lapse

LAHORE - The footage of terrorist attack on the Provincial Headquarters of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) showed on local TV channels on Tuesday, exposed further security lapse as the policemen deployed at the check-point fled away from the scene soon after the terrorists opened fire on them. The video clips also revealed that there was police presence next to none at the scene of the attack. Only one policeman could be spotted challenging the highly armed attackers. Nor did he have any back up support, as evident from the video. According to details of the gory incident as being depicted in the video, a Toyota Hiace van emerged from Lawrence Road and reached at the barricades set up outside the building of Emergency Police Service (Rescue 15) after breaking the traffic signal. The footage showed that an unarmed policeman, in quite relax mood as if he is hardly expecting any threat, appeared from his cabin set up near the barriers and approached towards the driver of the vehicle. The policeman deployed at the checkpoint set up in the most sensitive security zone, was walking towards the van to check their identification like the police usually carry out checking at the pickets elsewhere in the City. As the empty-handed policeman reached near the driver, gunmen came out from the front and rare doors of the vehicle and started spraying the policemen with bullets. The footage clearly showed that two unarmed policemen were running away from the scene to some safe place instead of confronting the attackers while the attackers threw hand-grenades on these fleeing policemen. One of the attackers quickly opened the barriers from both sides to give the way to the van while his accomplices continued indiscriminate gunfire, targeting the nearby buildings of police headquarters and the passersby. Meanwhile, the officials on guard at the ISI headquarters gave tough time to the terrorists when the attackers tried to clear the way for the explosive-laden vehicle to hit the building. The officials deployed at the intelligence headquarters fought bravely and engaged the terrorists in gun fighting. One of the attackers who opened the barriers received bullets and fell down while the driver drove the van toward their target. The on guard officials took positions at various locations at the rooftop of the intelligence headquarters and opened fire, targeting the terrorists and driver of the explosive-laden vehicle. However, soon after van driver sustained bullets fired by the intelligence personnel, he exploded the vehicle, the footage showed.

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