Tribal exodus follows Karachi airport carnage

(MENAFN- Arab News) Karachi: some 25000 people have fled the restive north waziristan tribal district in the past 48 hours fearing a long-awaited ground offensive after a deadly taleban attack on the karachi airport left 30 dead.
Pakistan's military fought an all-night battle monday with taleban gunmen who besieged the airport as it emerged up to seven workers could still be trapped in cold storage facilities.
Ten militants were among the dead in the assault on karachi's jinnah international airport.
Late monday families of seven airport workers blocked karachi's a main road demanding that authorities work toward freeing their relatives who were trapped in cold-storage facilities to escape the carnage.
The attack began just before midnight sunday. at around dawn the military said that all 10 of the attackers had been killed.
Some of the gunmen were dressed in army uniform as authorities put their mangled bodies assault rifles grenades and rocket launchers on show for the press. at least three detonated their suicide vests witnesses said and one severed head formed part of the grisly display.
The 18 victims of the assault included 11 airport security guards and four workers from pakistan international. the charred remains of two caa employees were recovered on monday night bring the toll up to 30 qaimkhani said.
In the restive north waziristan tribal district some 1000 kilometers north of karachi residents and officials told afp 58000 people mainly women and children had fled the area for different parts of the northwest fearing a long-awaited offensive was imminent.
The exodus has increased rapidly in recent days with more than 25000 fleeing their homes in the last 48 hours alone a government official in peshawar said.
'i am taking my family to a safer location" said one resident who did not wish to be named.