Terror Alert: Flights Suspended in Pakistan

jauntie
By jauntie

Sky News report
10:50am UK, Thursday September 25, 2008

All flights in Pakistan have been suspended after a string of bomb warnings at airports across the country.

The country's civil aviation authority is said to have instituted a state of emergency.

Benazir Bhutto International Airport has been evacuated after a phone call saying the building would be blown up.

Sky's Asia correspondent Alex Crawford said there had been at least two separate threats, and the country was in a state of "high anxiety".

She said the first threat came in a call to Pakistan International Airline's call centre.

The second threat was made to the media warning of attacks at airports across the country.

There is a high degree of nervousness here. They are treating it as an emergency and restricting all movements in and out of the airport. The UN is meeting and meant to be deciding whether to remove its staff from the country. Many foreigners and ex-pats feel confined to their homes.

Sky News Asia correspondent Alex Crawford

Earlier, the group claiming responsibility for a bomb attack on the Marriott Hotel in the capital warned of more attacks.

Saturday's truck bombing left 53 people dead and more than 260 wounded.

Security has deteriorated alarmingly in recent months with the government attacking al Qaeda and Taliban strongholds in the north-west.

The militants have retaliated with a string of bomb attacks.

In the latest bloodshed, Pakistani security forces killed 25 Islamists in Bajaur's Tang Khata area, on the Afghan border.

The Frontier Corps paramilitary force said it had "routed" the fighters, and wounded many more. It gave no information about casualties on the government side.

Relations have soured between the US and Pakistan over the conflict.

Pakistan is under intense pressure to eliminate militant camps in lawless Pashtun regions.

The US has stepped up its attacks on Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in the country. But Pakistan says it is a violation of its sovereignty.

By brutus_ceasar• 25 Sep 2008 17:43
brutus_ceasar

HHmmm..... Where is he?? Yo DA... wasuuupp dude??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heard your wife left you,

How upset you must be.

But don't fret about it...

She moved in with me.

By jauntie• 25 Sep 2008 17:29
jauntie

You arrived safely, then :D

By Xray• 25 Sep 2008 16:15
Xray

Bomb alert at Islamabad airport

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7635055.stm

Police are taking the threat seriously

The Pakistani authorities have stepped up security at the international airport in the capital, Islamabad.

The move follows intelligence reports suggesting that a suicide bomber was about to target the airport.

Flights are continuing as normal, although some airport complexes were closed for a time.

The mood in Islamabad has been jittery all week after Saturday's huge bombing which devastated the Marriott Hotel in the city, killing more than 50 people.

By Pieman• 25 Sep 2008 14:58
Pieman

I also seem to remember that the US gave Pakistan 'millions' for fighting terror on there own soil.

Maybe the US feels like it got bad value for money so is chasing a few Taliban down by itself.

just eat another pie

By jauntie• 25 Sep 2008 14:56
jauntie

I think they did.

Interesting that the report states that "Relations have soured between the US and Pakistan over the conflict".

They are unhappy with US for violating their sovereignty by stepping up attacks on Taliban and al Qaeda fighters.

I should have thought they may need all the help they can get right now. Although I suppose, in fairness, it's up to them who they allow to fight on their soil.

All worrying news, whatever .... :(

By Pieman• 25 Sep 2008 14:45
Pieman

I heard British Airways cancelled all flights to Pakistan a few days ago.

just eat another pie

By Oryx• 25 Sep 2008 14:30
Oryx

He probably flew to Kabul instead!

By jauntie• 25 Sep 2008 14:27
jauntie

He may not have got home to Islamabad had his flight been from Doha today.

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