US condemns Lahore blasts

Washington, 13 Mar: The US has condemned the multiple Lahore bombings, including twin suicide attacks that killed 45 people, saying it stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Pakistan in their aspirations for peace and security.

"The coordinated multiple attacks in Lahore demonstrate the suffering that violent extremist elements are willing to inflict on the people of Pakistan -- people who only wish to go about their daily lives in peace," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement.

"We commend Pakistan for its stalwart fight against extremism and the commitment of Pakistan's security and law enforcement forces to protecting the Pakistani people from violence and intimidation," she said.

The US stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Pakistan in their aspirations for peace and security, Clinton said, extending America's deepest sympathy to the families and friends of those killed and injured.

Her statement came shortly after Taliban terrorists struck Lahore yesterday, with two near-simultaneous suicide attacks targeting an army patrol killing 45 people, including 10 soldiers, and injuring 100 others.

Hours later, five blasts in quick succession rocked two crowded localities in Punjab's provincial, injuring three persons including a policeman.

(PTI)