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Security arrangements at all major sporting events have been cast into doubt after Islamist extremists adopted deadly new terror tactics by attacking international sportsmen.A dozen gunmen remained at large after opening fire in Lahore on the Sri Lanka cricket team, who were on their way to play Pakistan.The convoy was attacked with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers yesterday morning as it approached the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day of the second Test.Seven members of the Sri Lanka squad-six players and a British assistant coach-were injured.Eight Pakistanis were killed, including one of the drivers and six police officers assigned to protect the team.Rehman Malik, head of the Pakistani Interior Ministry, said that the nation was in a state of war and vowed to “flush out all these terrorists from this country”.The attack exposed the Pakistani Government’s chronic inability to contain the Islamic militants who control a large swath of territory near the border with Afghanistan.It also cast severe doubts on Pakistan’s future as a venue for international events. It is due to share the hosting of the 2011 cricket World Cup with India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Pakistani officials said that it bore the hallmarks of Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT), the Pakistani militant group blamed for the attack on Mumbai in November.That has raised fears among Western security officials that LeT and its allies may be shifting their tactics from suicide bombings to commando-style attacks by trained, heavily armed gunmen in crowded urban areas. Large events such as the 2011 cricket World Cup and 2012 London Olympics could be prime targets.Barack Obama expressed his deep concern over the attack as he met Gordon Brown and said that he would announce a new US strategy on Pakistan and Afghanistan before next month’s Nato summit.“The safe havens for al-Qaeda remain in the frontier regions of Pakistan,” he said.Mr Brown said Pakistan must be seen to be dealing with the 'terrorist problem in its midst.'"My first thoughts are with those who died and those who have been casualties as a result of this terrorist attack," he said."Obviously, when people are competing in sport and suddenly there's a terrorist attack, it is all the more tragic."What we have to do is to make sure that action against terrorism in Pakistan is effective. We know that the vast majority of al Qaida fighters are in Pakistan, not in Afghanistan."We know that there are groups in Pakistan that are terrorist groups that need to be brought under control, arrested and brought to trial."I have been pressing for some time the Pakistan government to make sure that arrests happen, terrorists are brought under control and Pakistan is seen to be fulfilling its role in the world community in dealing with the terrorist problem in its midst."President Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka said that the assault was a “cowardly terrorist attack” and chartered a plane to fly the team home. President Zardari of Pakistan ordered an inquiry over the attack and extended his regrets to Sri Lanka.The Pakistan Cricket Board said that the attack was beyond its control, despite criticism from Imran Khan, the former Pakistan cricket captain, of the security arrangements.Last night New Zealand cancelled a tour to Pakistan at the end of the year.“We are not going,” said Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of the country’s cricket body. “I don’t think any international team will be going to Pakistan in the foreseeable future.”By Jeremy Page in Lahore
As in the days of Noah..
