Jump to content

Operation Janbaz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 99.230.141.53 (talk) at 08:41, 15 October 2009. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:FixBunching

Operation Janbaz
Date10 October – 11 October 2009
Location
Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
Result Pakistani Army victory
Belligerents
 Pakistan Afghanistan Tehrik-i-Taliban[1], LeJ[2][3]
Commanders and leaders
Athar Abbas Mohammed Aqeel  (POW)
Strength
Pakistan Army Regulars
Special Service Group commandos		 10 militants
Casualties and losses
7 soldiers killed
5 commandos killed[4]		 9 killed
1 captured
2 civilians killed

Template:FixBunching

Template:FixBunching

The Pakistan Army General Headquarters attack occurred on October 10, 2009, when 10 gunmen[5] in military uniform opened fire on the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.[6] The entire operation killed nine soldiers, nine militants and two civilians.[7] One militant was wounded and captured alive by security forces.[6][2][3]

Background

The Pakistan Army and Pakistani officials have speculated that the attack may be in retaliation for a series of planned operations in South Waziristan.[8] A report published in The News International on October 5, quoting Interior Department Punjab, had forewarned that militants wearing army uniforms would carry out an attack on GHQ. "If they fail to enter as per the first plan, then as an alternative they will drive the vehicle to the allegedly broken wall of the GHQ and jumped down into the compound using a ladder".[9] The Daily Jang also reported on a possible threat.[9]

Initial operation

The attack began when 10 militants, wearing camouflaged army uniforms and armed with "sophisticated weapons", attacked a checkpoint at the army base.[8] They arrived in a white van and attacked the compound with guns and hand grenades.[6] During the attack, five militants and six soldiers were killed.[6] The army's dead included a Brigadier and Lieutenant Colonel.[10] The attackers then took 42 hostages, said to include civilians and senior military personnel, to a location near to the headquarters.[6][10]

Operation Janbaz

The hostages were rescued by the Pakistan army's elite Special Service Group.[11] Among the hostages were 22 who were being guarded by a suicide bomber, who failed to blow himself up[11] and was subsequently shot dead. During the operation that took place at 6:00 in the morning, four militants, two commandos, and three hostages (two civilians and one soldier) were killed.[6][12] Three commandos later died of their injuries. One militant was wounded and captured alive; he was named as Mohammed Aqeel (alias Dr Usman) and was said to be the leader of the group and the mastermind of the 3 March attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.[6] Aqeel was arrested in a building separate from the other militants, from whom five hostages were rescued. He had also tried to blow himself up but was injured in the process.[11]

The three dead hostages were said to have been killed during the attack by the militants.[6] The operation was announced as complete on the morning of October 11, 2009.[13] At least three explosions were heard during the assault.[14] Photographs of two of the attackers were released to the general public.[15]

Investigations

Police picked up the house owner Azam Qazi[16] and the property dealer who rented the house to the attackers. Police also raided the house located at Dhok Awan, Model Town Humak. The entrance was found to be unlocked. Several sets of Pakistan Army uniforms, maps of sensitive locations, fuses and detonators used in explosives, material used in making suicide jackets, several identity cards, etc were found at the safe house. Two pairs of trousers, two jeans and over 10 pairs of Shalwar Kameez and slippers were also found. Evidence showed that at least 10 people were present at the house before the attack. The rent agreement was also found, which said the house was rented for Rs. 10,000 on September 9. The attackers stayed there for 20 to 25 days.[17]

Attribution

A first information report (FIR) was registered at Royal Artillery Bazaar (R.A Bazaar) Police Station against Mohammad Aqeel alias Dr Usman for the attack. FIR no. 674 was regirested under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), with clauses include Murder, attempt of murder and possession of explosives and illegal arms.[18]

A Tehrik-e-Taliban (Amjad Farooqi Group) claimed responsibility for the attack.[16] A TTP spokesman Azam Tariq on monaday claimed resposiblity for the attack in a a phone call to a AFP reporter..

As long as Pakistan continues its operation against the Taliban, we will also keep continuing such attacks We claim responsibility for the attack on GHQ. It was carried out by our Punjab branch... We have the capability to strike at any place in Pakistan

[19]

Analysts have said the leader, Dr Usman, is a member of the HUJI[2] or the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, acting in concert with the TTP.[20][3]

According to ISPR, the attack was planned in South Waziristan, and 5 out of the 10 attackers belonged to Baitullah Meshud's group. According to Time, 5 of the 10 attackers were from Punjab.[21] Senior officials of the army were the prime target, they were to be kept hostage in order to full fill the attacker demand which included the release of 100 already detained militants.[19]

Subsequent airstrikes

Following the attacks, the Pakistan Air Force retaliated with two airstrikes on suspected militant targets in South Waziristan on Sunday evening. According to Pakistani intelligence officials, five militants were killed in the airstrikes.

On the night of October 11, Pakistan Air Force fighter jets pounded various hideouts of militants in South Wariztan, killing 13 Taliban fighters.[22] In the meantime, Pakistani UAVs and surveillance planes are intermittently flying over various areas of North and South Waziristan.[23]

Media blackout

Two news channels, Geo TV and Samaa, were taken off the air for an hour. A message from Pakistan's media regulatory body appeared on those channels announcing it was temporarily suspending transmission of "independent news TV channels" until further notice.[8]

October 15 attacks

On October 15 several more attacks were carried out against government buildings in several areas across Pakistan. Four gunmen attacked the Federal Investigation Agency building in Lahore, seven people were killed in this attack including both police and attackers. Also attacked were two police academies and a police station in Kohat. [24]

Reaction

  • United States United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in London that she wished to "point out this shows the continuing threats to the Pakistani government and the very important steps that the civilian leadership, along with the military, are taking to root out the extremists and prevent violence and direct assaults on the sovereignty of the state".[29]

References

  1. ^ "Taliban claim GHQ attack". The News (Newspaper). 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  2. ^ a b c "Terrorist attack in Pakistan shows how vulnerable it is". McClatchy Newspapers. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  3. ^ a b c "Car Bomb Kills at Least 41 in Restive Region of Pakistan". The New York Times. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  4. ^ "'Senior officers were main target of GHQ attack'". The News. 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  5. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/10/pakistan.shootings/index.html
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Pakistan army raid frees hostages". BBC News. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  7. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/10/pakistan.shootings/index.html
  8. ^ a b c "10 Dead in Attack on Pakistani Military HQ". CBS News. 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  9. ^ a b "GHQ attack report published in Daily Jang, The News on Oct 5th". The News. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  10. ^ a b "Terrorists hold several security men hostage". 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  11. ^ a b c "GHQ operation completed with the arrest of injured terrorists' top dog". The news. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  12. ^ "3 hostages, 2 commandos, four kidnappers killed in rescue bid". The news. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  13. ^ "Commando raid formally completed with last injured terrorist's arrest". The News International. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "Two blasts heard inside GHQ". The News International. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "GHQ attack: ISPR releases pictures of two terrorists". The News International. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ a b "GHQ attacked". The News. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
  17. ^ Azeem, Munawer (2009-10-11). "Owner of safe house arrested in Islamabad". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  18. ^ "GHQ attack: FIR filed in R.A Bazaar police station". Geo.tv. 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
  19. ^ a b "'GHQ attackers demanded release of 100 militants'". Dawn (newspaper). 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  20. ^ "Pakistani Police Had Warned Army About a Raid". The New York Times. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  21. ^ Omar Waraich (2009-10-13). "Why Pakistan Must Widen Its Hunt for Militant Bases". TIME. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  22. ^ http://thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=88854
  23. ^ http://thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=88854
  24. ^ "Pakistan shaken by fresh attacks". BBC. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  25. ^ SHAHZAD, ASIF. "Gunmen attack Pakistani army headquarters; 10 dead". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-10-11. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ "Lenience possible if terrorists surrender right now: Rehman". The News International. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ "Pak Army completed the operation with great expertise: Malik". The News International. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-10-10-voa5.cfm
  29. ^ "Pak army HQ attack exposes extremist threat: Clinton". The News International. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

External links

Wikinews has related news:
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Janbaz&oldid=319981316"