250 suspects detained over Lahore terror attack

LAHORE - Over 250 suspects have been detained following the Lahore terror attack in which at least 90 people were killed as intelligence agencies feared that terrorists could target minority communities once again.

Security agencies Saturday launched a crackdown and detained more than 250 suspects. Intelligence agencies have also reported that terrorists could once again target minorities in addition to attacking law enforcers, Daily Times reported citing sources.

On Friday, Taliban guerrillas wearing suicide vests fired indiscriminately and lobbed grenades as they stormed two mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect, taking worshipers hostage. The gunmen were neutralised by the security forces after a fierce gunbattle.

Three special teams have been deployed to trace terrorists on the basis of information gathered by quizzing one of the terrorists who was arrested in the Lahore attack.

“Plain-clothed security personnel have been deployed in the provincial metropolis, mainly around the worship places of minorities and localities with an Afghan-majority populace,” a source was quoted as saying.

The terrorists involved in the Lahore attack belonged to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and had made their way to Lahore from Miranshah via Bannu, Deputy Inspector General Punjab (Special Branch) Akram Naeem Bhroka said Saturday.

Bhroka said: “During investigations, the arrested terrorist revealed that Muhammad Munib had trained them in Miranshah and that they had entered Lahore on May 21 and had settled in Raiwind. He also disclosed that the terrorists had stayed at a mosque before launching their attacks.”

Suicide bombers had struck at a market in Lahore March 12, killing 45 and injuring over 100.

On Oct 15, 2009, the Taliban laid siege to Lahore with audacious and simultaneous attacks on three police establishments, including a training school just 12 km from the Indian border, that killed 25 people, including 10 of the attackers.

This was the second attack on the training school in 2009 after a March 30 assault that left eight attackers, an equal number of trainees and two civilians dead.

On March 3, 2009, five policemen were killed when gunmen attacked the bus ferrying the Sri Lankan cricket team to the Gaddafi Stadium for the Test against Pakistan. Four members of the Sri Lankan team were injured and the tour was immediately called off.