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Islamabad – Reuters
Pakistani authorities have arrested 11 militants involved in a suicide bombing in the north of the country in March that killed five Chinese engineers, officials said on Sunday.
The announcement was made at a press conference between Pakistan’s counter-terrorism chief Rai Tahir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
The detainees belong to the Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella group for dozens of armed groups whose goal is to overthrow the government and install a strict regime.
Taher said the suicide bomber used mobile phones to contact local leaders, leading to the suspect’s arrest.
He added that investigations and evidence showed that the militants were taking instructions from the leadership of the Pakistani Tehrik-e-Taliban in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani military had previously said the attack was planned in Afghanistan and the attackers were Afghans, but Kabul denied this.
The Pakistani Taliban, which had previously denied any involvement in the suicide bombing, said on Sunday that it had clarified its stance on the attack.
“We have forensic evidence that Pakistani Taliban militants operating in Afghanistan were involved in the incident,” Minister Naqvi said.
In March, the suicide bomber rammed his car into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a dam in northwestern Pakistan, killing five engineers and a local driver.
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