India condemns terrorist attack in Pakistan

Mar 30, 2009, 8:46 GMT

   New Delhi - India on Monday condemned the terrorist attack near the Pakistani city of Lahore even as its defence forces said they were prepared to tackle any 'spillover' of the terrorist threat, since the assault took place near the border.

   'We do not have full information. We are deeply concerned. We condemn the terrorist attacks,' India's Federal Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram told reporters in New Delhi.

   'We condemn all terrorist attacks. We offer our sympathy to the the people of Pakistan,' he said.

   Militants raided a police training academy in the Manawan area, located some 20 kilometres north-east of Lahore and killed at least 22 people and took scores hostage in the attack that was continuing.

   Manawan is about 10 kilometres from the India-Pakistan border town of Wagah.

   Indian Army vice-chief Lieutenant General Nobel Thamburaj said the military was prepared to tackle any terrorist threat to India from Pakistan.

   'Definitely any kind of instability in the region it impinges on our security concerns, because we are neighbours. We are watching the situation very carefully and monitoring it closely,' he said.

   Ever since last November's attack on its financial hub Mumbai in which more than 170 people were killed, India has been pressing Pakistan to crackdown on terrorist groups operating on its soil.

   Asked if he saw a parallel between the Mumbai and Lahore attacks, Chidambaram said: 'In the case of Mumbai, the source is known to be Pakistani soil. We don't know about who is behind Lahore attack. Therefore, it would be completely wrong to draw a parallel.'