Three arrested over Lahore suicide blast
Three people have been arrested in connection with a suicide attack in the Pakistani city of Lahore yesterday
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Thursday, 28, May 2009 10:17
Three people have been arrested in connection with a suicide attack in the Pakistani city of Lahore yesterday which left 24 people dead.
The Pakistani Taliban has this morning claimed responsibility for the attack, which left another 300 people, announcing it was a response to the government's continuing military campaign in the Swat Valley.
"We have achieved our target. We were looking for this target for a long time. It was a reaction to the Swat operation," Taliban commander, Hakimullah Mehsud, told the Reuters news agency.
CNN reports two suspects were arrested immediately after Wednesday's blast, with television footage showing the men being led away by police officers.
Pakistan's government has today announced a cash reward for the arrest of Maulana Fazlullah, the religious leader said to be behind the Taliban's campaign in the Swat valley.
Rewards have also been pledged to those who help track down another 20 Taliban leaders.
A statement published in national newspapers states: "People providing authentic information leading to the capture - dead or alive - of these individuals will receive a cash reward."
Around two million people are thought to have displaced as a result of the continuing military offensive in the Swat Valley, with humanitarian groups calling on both sides to cease fighting to allow those trapped a chance to escape.