By IRNA
Islamabad : The Interior Ministry on Tuesday said that 24 people were killed in the twin suicide attacks in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.
Interior Ministry Spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema told his weekly press briefing in Islamabad that 170 other people were also injured in the blasts.
Cheema said that the first blast took place on Temple Road in the premises of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) building.
According to initial reports a suicide bomber exploded his explosive laden vehicle near reception office of the PIA building, killing 21 people and injuring another 167, the spokesman said.
About the same time, a suicide bomber hit his pickup to the gate of a house in Model Town, killing three including two children and injuring another three persons, he said.
Cheema said that 12 personnel of the FIA were among those killed.
“Terrorists are operating in small groups and even at individual level. The law enforcement agencies are trying their level best to break the remnants of the clandestine terrorists’ cells and expressed the confidence they would overcome the grave threat to national security and stability with the support of the people.”
He said the agencies were able to avert about 150 potential terrorist threats.
“Additional measures are being taken to beef up security for public places, government installations and likely targets of terrorist elements.”
He said the provincial governments have been asked to review and revisit their security plans.
He said a thorough investigation has been launched into Lahore terrorist attacks.
“They have also been asked to accelerate their intelligence collection apparatus to apprehend the terrorists before they carry out their nefarious designs.”
Referring to the situation at Swat valley, Cheema said during the last one week and security forces arrested seven terrorists including two well known commanders of a militant group.
“A terrorist who was involved in beheading of an employee of a mobile telephone company was also arrested. In the process security forces recovered large quantity of arms, explosives and ammunition from two different hideouts.”
To a question, the spokesman said the Indian national Kashmir Singh was released from the prison on a humanitarian considerations and hoped India would demonstrate reciprocity.
About the killing of Pakistani national Khalid Mahmood in Indian police custody, he said Foreign Office was in touch with New Delhi on the issue.