Daesh owns attack on media office in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Terror revisited the federal capital on Wednesday evening when two persons riding a motorcycle hurled hand-grenade at the office of ARY News in Sector F-7/4, causing serious injuries to the driver of DSNG van.

Two persons riding a motorbike entered the office of the news channel from Service Road adjacent to Margalla College for Girls, F-7/4 and hurled hand-grenade/cracker at the channel office. In a bid to intercept the attacker, security guard, Umar, rushed to the attackers but they resorted to aerial firing.

Fear gripped the area after the explosion of the hand-grenade and staff of the channel remained stuck in their office as firing also followed the grenade explosion. Some eyewitnesses didn't confirm the gun shooting however indicated that gun fire was shot by the security guards who rushed to the attackers to nab them but motorcyclists who intended to enter the office resorted to firing and rushed away from the scene.

The motorcyclists also dropped a letter at the site of the attack, which reads, “Responsibility of this attack is on the media. Our message is simple and clear. Stop siding with the army and government of Pakistan in their global crusade against Islam under the banner of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, by concealing facts. Stop concealing the operation and transgression of this army in the form of missing persons, mass arrests and torture of Ahle Sunnah and relatives of the accused. Stop concealing the numerous cases of arson, burglary and kidnap for ransom, from defenceless Ahle Sunnah belonging to weak backgrounds, by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), in the name of operation against terrorists. Stop covering-up the scale of destruction and massacres done through bombardment in Tribal Areas and Balochistan by the army and plight of IDPs. If the media continues to hide and distort facts and serves as stenographers of ISPR, taking dictates and amplifying one-sided propaganda, such a slave media is merely an extension of ISPR and hence we will treat it as a military institution and all its personnel as soldiers of the army. So do not proclaim this as an attack on journalism freedom.”

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif denouncing grenade attack at the channel office directed Islamabad IGP Islamabad and DCO to reach the site of the attack. Islamabad additional deputy commissioner said that security of media houses in the twin cities had been tightened and overall security of the twin cities had also been put on high alert.

As per electronic media reports ISIS (Daesh)-Afghanistan has claimed responsibility of grenade attack at the channel office. Political, journalists as well as social activists across the country condemned the attack.