More than 5,000 people were arrested following the Easter bombings.

(Baonghean.vn) - Pakistani authorities have arrested more than 5,000 suspects, then released most of them, within just two days of a suicide bomber attacking a park in the eastern city of Lahore on Easter Sunday, killing at least 70 people.

Forensic workers search for evidence at the scene of an explosion outside a public park on Sunday in Lahore, Pakistan, March 28. Photo: Reuters.

Rana Sanaullah, a Punjab provincial official from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's ruling party, said on March 29 that investigators are currently holding 216 suspects for further questioning. He stated, "After the additional questioning is complete, we will have more information about them. If anyone is found guilty, they will be sentenced."

Details of raids and arrests targeting anyone suspected of Islamic extremism emerged as factions within the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and issued a new threat on March 29.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesman for the Jamaat-ur-Ahrar group, tweeted: “Everyone will have their turn in this fight, especially Pakistan’s dependent media. We are just waiting for the right moment.”

The Easter bombings were the deadliest since the 2014 Taliban school massacre that killed 134 students. Sunday's attack, which claimed 29 lives among children, demonstrates the militants' continued ability to carry out serious attacks despite military sweeps of their bases in the northwest.

Ehsan wrote: "Let Nawaz Sharif know that this war has now reached the doorstep of his homeland."

Lahore is the capital of Punjab, the richest and most populous province, and the political center of Sharif's rule.

Sanaullah stated that at least 160 raids had been conducted by police, counter-terrorism, and intelligence agents, and confirmed that army and paramilitary forces would be used in upcoming operations: “This operation will involve all law enforcement agencies.”

Military and government officials said on March 28 that the army was preparing to launch a new paramilitary counter-terrorism crackdown in Punjab.

The move, which has not yet been officially announced, suggests that the civilian government is once again granting special powers to the military to combat Islamist militants.

Pakistanis gathered on March 28 to condemn Sunday's suicide bombing in Lahore, Pakistan. The Pakistani Prime Minister vowed on March 28 to eliminate those responsible for terrorist attacks. Photo: AP.

Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a group that has pledged allegiance to IS, has carried out five major attacks in Pakistan since December 2015.

In a speech broadcast on national television on the evening of March 28, Sharif vowed to continue the pursuit of the gunmen.

The government also announced that Mr. Sharif would cancel his planned trip to the United States to attend the Nuclear Security Summit scheduled to open on March 31.

Pakistani security agencies have long been accused of funding certain Islamist militants to support their pursuit of objectives in Afghanistan and against long-time rival India.

In recent years, Pakistan has cracked down on movements targeting its people and institutions, including the Pakistani Taliban, which is currently seeking to overthrow the government and establish strict Islamic law.

Thu Giang

(According to Reuters)