RAWALPINDI, Dec 4 Friday's massacre of the faithful in a mosque on the Parade Lane, in the high security area of this garrison city, shocked the citizens on many counts.

People were flabbergasted at the audacity and depravity of the terrorists and the rather slack security at a time when malevolent forces appeared on the offensive again.

“How could any Muslim think of going on a killing spree in a mosque and turn a holy day into a bloody day?” wondered a man in a crowd watching the aftermath of the attack from afar as the military had sealed off the area.

People listening to him could only shake their heads in disbelief.

Disbelief greeted also the remark by another watcher that only two soldiers were guarding the front of the mosque, located in a military area.

Some of the attackers used the exposed sides of the mosque to execute their dirty plan.

People of the area said the mosque is frequented by army officers and personnel. Eidul Azha prayers were not held in the mosque as a precautionary measure, they said.

Eyewitness Nasir said the heavily armed attackers first threw three handgrenades on the worshippers and then fired their automatic rifles indiscriminately.

Eyewitness Malik Nadeem Shafi told a broadcaster that he heard three explosions and then gunfire. Most of the casualties were caused by the exploding handgrenades.

Normal security measures on the Parade Lane proved insufficient on Friday as terrorists penetrated the security cordon.

It was the third terrorist attack on Peshawar Road in the garrison area in the past two months. The earlier attacks targeted the GHQ and a branch of the National Bank of Pakistan which serves many military personnel.

Traffic on Peshawar Road was diverted to nearby roads to ease the rescue efforts. Huge traffic jams were witnessed on Zahid Beg Road in Westridge, Transit Camp Road and Railway Road.

Security was tightened in the area following the attack and the authorities were thinking of closing the two roads linking with the Parade Lane.

This route, called the 'convoy route', is used to carry heavy traffic after mid-night, and may be closed to heavy traffic for security reasons. An alternative route for heavy traffic is being planned, it is learnt.

The incident led to high security of the mosque of the Transit Camp on the main road not far from the Parade Lane.

The Transit Camp Road remains closed during prayers time. For security reasons, a mosque built by the Military Engineering Service (MES) near the Charing Cross has already been closed.

However such road closures put the public to inconvenience.

The management of a private school located in an enclave on the Aibak Road is in a dilemma as the road leading to the school gate has been closed by the authorities.

Meanwhile, extraordinary security measures have been taken by military installations in Westridge - again by closing roads.

Pasban Road is taking the entire traffic load after the closures and is choked, particularly during school and office hours.

Except for a barrier and a checkpost, located half way into the Parade Lane, no other security measure was ever witnessed there.

A couple of traffic wardens are deployed at the entrance of Parade Lane to regulate traffic. The Military Police take position on Peshawar Road only during the office rush hours.

Soon after the Friday attack, the entire Peshawar Road between Military Hospital and Charing Cross was closed to all kind of traffic and the entire area was cordoned off. Army helicopters started hovering over the site of incident while military and civil police took over the Peshawar Road.

Staff of the Army Graveyard, situated three kilometres away from the Parade Lane, was seen at night preparing for burials.