- Title: PAKISTAN: Pakistan military says Taliban behind attack on military headquarters
- Date: 13th October 2009
- Summary: RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (OCTOBER 12, 2009) (REUTERS) WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS PAKISTAN'S MILITARY SPOKESMAN MAJOR-GENERAL ATHAR ABBAS WAITING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAKISTAN'S MILITARY SPOKESMAN MAJOR-GENERAL ATHAR ABBAS, SAYING: " Their target was to take hostage senior officers of the GHQ and then place their demands of rescue. The main dema
- Embargoed: 28th October 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Pakistan
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Defence / Military
- Reuters ID: LVA56G0KHC4H3H7QENF9UY2OJ3Z5
- Story Text: Military spokesman says militants who attacked army headquarters wanted to take senior military officers hostage to demand the release of captured militants The army on Monday (October 12) said Pakistani Taliban commander Wali-ur-Rehman was behind Saturday's (October 10) attack on its headquarters in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad.
Commandos stormed an office building near the headquarters and rescued 39 people taken hostage by gunmen after an attack at the main gate to the headquarters.
Nine militants and three hostages were killed in the violence in Rawalpindi while the number of soldiers killed rose to 11, with the death of three wounded men, a military official said.
Military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas told a news conference in Rawalpindi the 10 attackers had wanted to take senior military officers hostage to demand the release of a "long list" of captured militants.
"Their target was to take hostage senior officers of the GHQ and then place their demands of rescue. The main demand was to take - they gave a long list of all those who've we been apprehended, the terrorists who are in our custody, the custody of the government. They wanted them released. This was the main demand," Abbas said.
Abbas said a telephone conversation had been intercepeted between Rehman and one of his subordinates.
"The intercept which was recorded - the conversation between the TTP leader, commander Wali Ur Rehman who is talking with some other terrorist. It revealed that this attack was planned in the area of South Waziristan which is the main base of TTP. And in this conversation Wali ur Rehman is asking one of his subordinates to pray for the 'fidayeen'(suiciders) attack on the GHQ," Abbas said.
The leader of the attack, a former soldier who deserted in 2004 and joined a militant group based in Punjab province, was the only attacker captured alive, Abbas said.
The man, identified as Aqeel and also known as Dr Usman was from Punjab and was wounded, he said.
Earlier on Monday, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq claimed responsibility and threatened more attacks. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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