December 17, 2006	Sunday	Ziqa'ad 25, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: The federal capital was put on high alert after the security agencies found two abandoned bags, one of them containing two live missiles, lying near the Sports Complex Helipad, Dawn has learnt.

The Helipad was scheduled to be used on Thursday by a VVIP whose movement was reportedly cancelled.

Within minutes of the recovery of the bags, the intelligence officials, bomb disposal experts from the army and top police officers reached the scene and seized the missiles and other equipments.

The source said the two missiles nearly 3-1/2 feet long were Russian-made. The contents of the other bag were not known.

Shortly after the recovery, the security personnel combed a vast area but they found no explosive or device.

However, the authorities are still in the dark and refused to comment on the incident.

The security personnel continued combing of green areas even on Friday. The combing started at around 8.30 am and continued till the sun set, the source said.

This was the 4th incident of recovery of rockets/missiles in the strict security zones of the twin cities since Ayub Park explosion near President General Pervez Musharraf’s camp office and recovery of two live rockets in Islamabad in October, 2006.

When the Inspector General of Police Islamabad Ch Iftikhar was contacted, he said: “It was totally an empty bag, nothing else.”

However, the IGP did not give any detail about the recovery which is being strictly withheld by the police.

A security source said that those cannot be called rockets/missiles. “These were like shots,” he said.