Lahore shrine attack: 12 suspects arrested

Islamabad, July 5 (IANS/AKI) Pakistani authorities Monday arrested 12 suspects over last week’s suicide bombings at a Sufi shrine in Lahore that killed 42 people, but the identity of those who carried out the attack remains a mystery.

Ammunition and weapons were recovered during raids in two areas in Lahore, police said.

Five police officers were also suspended for the security lapses that led to the tragedy July 1 at the Data Ganj Baksh shrine which also injured 175 people.

Meanwhil, the Taliban has said that it was not involved in the attack on the 11th century shrine.

“We don’t follow a policy of attacking shrines,” a spokesperson for the Punjabi Taliban Muhammad Umar told AKI by telephone from North Waziristan.

“During five years of government in Afghanistan, the Taliban never demolished a single shrine.”

“Strategically it would also be ridiculous if we send anybody for any suicide attack. Why should we do that? If we really want to kill people over there all we need to simply park an explosive laden car and that’s all,” Umar said.

–IANS/AKI