Carnage at Karachi airport: Red alert declared at Lahore airport

LAHORE:

The authorities on Monday ordered a red alert at the Allama Iqbal International Airport following an overnight terrorist attack on the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.

The Airport Security Force (ASF) said they had increased patrolling of the airport and that visitors and passengers were being thoroughly checked at entrances and exits.

The Airport Security Force  had temporarily stopped issuing entry passes to citizens. Vigilance at car parks was also enhanced.

Police said they had also increased patrolling of the area around the airport.

The PIA flight PK-723 (Jeddah-Karachi) that had landed in Lahore due to the terrorist attack at the Karachi airport was sent to the port city on Monday, said an airport official.

Another Karachi-bound PIA flight from London had landed in Lahore. It left for Karachi at 7:30pm on Monday, said the official.

Separately, the Home Department issued instructions to police to deploy additional security officials at major government buildings and religious and public places in the province.

At least 28 people, including 12 terrorists, were killed in the Karachi airport attack, claimed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2014.