Lahore, Oct 15 (IANS) Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has commended the security forces for thwarting three major terrorist attacks in Lahore Thursday, the Online news agency reported.
Malik made the remarks during a visit to the FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) building where five militants were killed after a daring attack Thursday.

He said he “appreciated the professionalism of police and elite forces”.

He also lauded the media “for not creating a negative hype”.

An unknown number of armed men - and probably a few women - dressed in military fatigues stormed the FIA building in a thickly populated area of Lahore, stunning the authorities.

Around the same time, two other groups of terrorists raided the sprawling police training school at Manawan, about 12 km from the Indian border, and the Elite Force training centre, another huge complex.

Twenty-five people, including 10 attackers, were killed in the incidents.

The minister said there are three main organisations that operate in the country: Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. He said these groups are working together, but the security forces will defeat them.

Replying to a question about the involvement of foreign hand in the Lahore incident, Malik said without sufficient evidence he cannot blame any foreign country.

He said the security agencies are on high alert after Thursday’s attacks. He said the government has provided the security forces with bulletproof jackets and scanners to deal with the militants.

He urged the people to alert the police if they noticed anything unusual. He asked people to make use of their mobile phones to take pictures and send them to the authorities immediately.

He said the government will provide special numbers to the public for sharing information on terrorists activities.