Wagah suicide attack: ’Beating Retreat’ ceremony to be suspended for 3 days

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Nov 03, 2014: In the aftermath of a deadly suicide attack that killed dozens, the spectacular flag-lowering ceremony that takes place at Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan every evening, has been postponed for three days until Thursday, officials said.

In

the flag-lowering ceremony both Indian and Pakistani soldiers participate, parading close to each other and present a grand military spectacle which attracts scores of spectators every evening before sunset.

Also known as the "beating retreat" ceremony, it has been taking place for last 55 years with members of Pakistan’s Rangers and India’s Border Security Force marching in goose step and lowering their countries’ flags.

The suspension of the ceremony for three days comes after at least 55 people were killed and more than hundred were injured when a suicide bomber detonated himself at a checkpoint near Wagah border crossing just after the spectators were returning back after watching the ceremony, reports quoted Inspector General Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera of the Punjab police.

Sukhera said that it was difficult to check the suicide bomber despite high security arrangements in place for Muharram.

"The Rangers had made stringent security measures but it was difficult to check suicide bomber," the PTI quoted Sukhera as saying.

"It appears that he (the bomber) is a young man of 20-25 years. At least 15 to 20 kilogramme explosives have been used in the blast, showing some of the explosives was in his suicide jacket and remaining he might have carried."

Remarkably, the responsibility for the attack has been claimed by not one but three terror groups – all either linked to or breakaway groups of Pakistan Taliban.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesperson of Pak Taliban breakaway group Jamat-ul-Ahrar, rubbished the claims of anti-Shia group Jundullah and said that they were behind the attacks which were carried in retaliation to killings by Pakistani Army in North Waziristan."

Jamat-ul-Ahrar, which broke away from TTP in September claimed that it will release the video of the attack.

"We will soon release the video of this attack.. This attack is the revenge of the killing of those innocent people who have been killed by Pakistan Army, particularly of those who have been killed in North Waziristan," the CNN quoted a statement made by Ehsan.