nuclear-news

Serious threat to Pakistan nuclear facility from Taliban

Sources in the military and Punjab Police, on condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that the nature of threat at the nuclear installation is ‘serious,’ with an 80% chance of occurrence.

Taliban threat; nuclear site in D G Khan cordoned off, Express Tribune, Pakistan,By Abdul Manan : September 6, 2012, LAHORE: It could be the first-ever security threat to a nuclear facility in Pakistan, and the Army and security forces are taking no risks.
Following ‘serious’ security threats from the homegrown Taliban, the Army and Punjab police have deployed heavy forces at one of Pakistan’s largest nuclear facilities in Dera Ghazi Khan (DG Khan), credible sources told The Express Tribune.

Besides the deployment inside and around the nuclear installation, three divisions in South Punjab have also been asked to launch a crackdown against banned outfits, sources added.

“DG Khan houses one of the largest nuclear facilities in the country, and has faced the first-ever serious security threat from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP),” said a high ranking military officer currently serving at the installation.
According to an official who works at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, a key military and civilian fuel cycle site is located 40 kilometres from DG Khan. The site comprises uranium milling and mining operations, and a uranium hexaflouride conversion plant.
‘Serious’ threat Sources in the military and Punjab Police, on condition of anonymity,
told The Express Tribune that the nature of threat at the nuclear installation is ‘serious,’ with an 80% chance of occurrence.

The
Inter-Services Intelligence reportedly intercepted a telephone call
from the TTP, wherein they were said to have been finalising their
strategy for attacks on nuclear installations in DG Khan, sources
said.
Three to four vehicles carrying suicide bombers are about to enter DG
Khan and can strike the nuclear facilities at any time, the caller
concluded according to sources. Sources said that, according to
precedents, threats intercepted via phone calls often materialised in
the next 72 hours. Direct threats via phone or letters often do not
materialise, the source added.
Foiling the attack
DG Khan District Police Officer Chaudhry Saleem confirmed the threat,
while talking to The Express Tribune, and said that DG Khan Police has
received instructions from the military officer in charge at the
nuclear installation to beef up security around the facility as much
as possible.
The TTP started to send threats to the installation after the attacks
on Kamra air base, Saleem said, adding that the police has established
six new pickets around the nuclear installations and deployed heavy
forces over the last 24 hours.
Sources said that a heavy contingent of military from the Multan
cantonment has also reached the site and beefed up the inner cordon of
the security. Military has also been deployed near the border with
Balochistan…..
http://tribune.com.pk/story/432295/taliban-threat-nuclear-site-in-dg-khan-cordoned-off

September 6, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Pakistan, safety