Islamabad: Brigadier escapes ambush by militants

Suspected motorcycle-borne militants on Tuesday made a brazen attempt to assassinate another senior Pakistan army officer, raking his vehicle with indiscriminate fire, but the brigadier escaped unhurt, in an ambush similar to one just five days ago that resulted in killing of an army officer and a soldier.

Two gunmen, waiting outside the home of Brigadier Waqar Ahmed in Islamabad, opened fire as he emerged in his staff car at around 9 am along with his mother and raked his vehicle with automatic weapons fire, but he escaped unhurt, the police and witnesses said.

The brigadier's mother who was traveling with him also had a narrow escape.

TV clips showed the car riddled with three bullets and the front screen completely smashed in one of Islamabad's prominent residential areas. The car was on the move when the bullets hit it.

Abdul Ghafoor, a neighbour who witnessed the attack, said, "The brigadier was going to the bank with his mother. He was sitting in the back seat with his mother when the gunmen opened fire. The gunmen escaped on a motorcycle without being challenged."

Some witnesses said they had seen the two gunmen waiting outside the officer's home for about 15 minutes.

The police cordoned off the area and launched a search for the attackers. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks.