Wed, March 04, 2009
ISLAMABAD, March 3 (Xinhua) -- As many as 60 suspects related to the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team have been arrested on Tuesday, private TV channel Geo reported.
The police raided markets in Lahore, capital city of Punjab province where the attack occurred, and recovered arms from several markets.
Speaking to reporters in front of the parliament house here, Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik said the terrorists came from three sides and trapped the Sri Lankan convoy.
The police performed well and protected the players, Rehman Malik said, adding that the enemies of Pakistan wanted to destabilize the country.
The Geo also reported that the intelligence sources had apprised the Punjab government of possibility of terror attack on the Sri Lankan team following which former Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had issued orders to step up security arrangements.
A committee has been constituted to probe the attack and a report in the regard will be filed within 24 hours, local TV channels quoted a high-ranking official as saying.
The Sri Lankan cricket team was about to start their match in the second Test event with Pakistan when they came under attack by unidentified gunmen on the way to the stadium.
As a result of the firing incident, at least seven persons including five policemen were killed and 19 others including seven Sri Lankan cricket players suffered injuries.
Some Pakistani officials said that the possibility of involvement of foreign elements in the attack could not be ruled out.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the attack.
The Test Series between the two teams were called off after the incident and Sri Lanka made a decision to pull it players out of Pakistan. The players were evacuated to the airport in Lahore in helicopter.
