3 suspects held in Marriott hotel bombing

Pakistani security forces on Monday arrested three men during an operation from Kharian city of the Punjab province.

Scrambling to track down militants responsible for the devastating suicide bombing of the Marriott hotel here, Pakistani security forces on Monday arrested three men during an operation from Kharian city of the Punjab province.

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Among those arrested was Qari Muhammad Ali, imam of the main Jamia mosque in Kharian, Dawn News channel reported.

There was also no official word on the arrests and no further details were available.

The security forces have launched a massive manhunt in the capital as well as adjoining provinces to trace militant cells responsible for the suicide bombing, which killed 53 people, including two US marines and the Czech Ambassador to the country.

As part of the drive, investigators are looking into the possibilities that the bombers constructed a 600-kg bomb in a safe house in the capital itself, as transporting such a heavy bomb load could not pass the numerous checks on the highway leading to the capital.

Reports said Pakistani authorities had launched a crackdown over the weekend on leaders and members of banned organisations.

In another operation at Gujranwala in Punjab late last night, two alleged terrorists were arrested by security forces.