After taking soldiers hostage, I thought we won: sole surviving GHQ attacker

Peshawar, Oct. 16 (ANI): The only surviving gunman of the Rawalpindi GHQ attack, Muhammad Aqeel, alias Dr Usman, has revealed that he took almost 40 army personnel hostage thinking that the government would free hundreds of militants in exchange of them.

Sources quoted Aqeel as saying that he was sure that the government would release most of the terrorists on their demand list.

"Once I was successful in taking several personnel hostage, I believed the army would not fight back and the release of my comrades would only be a matter of time. I was also sure that I would receive safe passage to end the hostage situation," the Daily Times quoted Aqeel, as saying.

According to sources, the real turning point in the GHQ attack came when a military sniper killed a militant who was wearing an explosives-laden suicide jacket.

"That single gunshot changed the entire scenario. The terrorist was taken out with a bullet to the neck, giving him no time to act," he said.

Investigators are still probing whether the terrorists received any "support from inside the GHQ". (ANI)