Washington, Mar 8 : The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team last week points towards the Punjabi terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which most independent analysts think carried out the attacks in Mumbai last year.

The gunmen worked in pairs and carried walkie-talkies and backpacks stuffed with water, dried fruit and other high-energy food, perhaps anticipating a protracted standoff after taking the cricket team hostage.

According to The Scotsman, the Pakistani security services and most of the Pakistani elite are in state of denial.

Colombo, Mar. 8 : A businessman who founded a charity that raised two million dollars for Sri Lanka after the December 26, 2004 Asian tsunami, has pleaded for Australia''s cricket community to "do everything possible to help Pakistan".

Sri Lanka-born Harry Solomons''s plea echoed distraught Pakistan captain Younus Khan''s warning last week that without the availability of international exposure, Pakistani cricket could die.

"If something is not done quickly, maybe everyone [will go] to the IPL, ICL or county cricket," Younus told Cricinfo. com.

Colombo, Mar. 6 : Three Sri Lankan cricketers are still recuperating in hospital after they sustained serious injuries in the Lahore terror attack earlier this week.

According to the director general of the Sri Lankan Sports Ministry (medical unit), Geethanjana Mendis, three Lankan players namely Thilan Samaraveera, Ajantha Mendis and Tharanga Paranavitana are still under medical observation in Nawaloka hospital here.

New York/Colombo  - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern over the increasing number of civilian victims in the fighting between government troops and Tamil separatist rebels in north-eastern Sri Lanka.

"The secretary general is extremely concerned over the deteriorating situation for civilians trapped in northern Sri Lanka," a statement released by Ban's office said Thursday.

Colombo, Mar. 6: A majority of the Sri Lankan cricketers who were caught in the middle of a crossfire between security forces and terrorists in Lahore on Tuesday, have said that had they sat still, they would have died.

Backing British match referee Chris Broad’s claims that Pakistani police officers did not promptly return fire during Tuesday''s attack, Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said the bus in which they were traveling stood still for about a minute and a half as the attackers fired at will.

As far as Jayawardene could tell, there was no police gunfire at the attackers.

"They were not under pressure …nobody was firing at them," The Scotsman quoted him, as saying.

Colombo - Scores of civilians have been killed by government artillery in north-eastern Sri Lanka, a pro-Tamil rebel website said Thursday, as shelling claimed a Red Cross worker in the war zone.

Seventy-eight civilians, including 21 children and a pregnant woman, died in government fire Wednesday in the government-declared safe zone for civilians, Tamilnet reported, citing casualty figures coming in from affected settlements.