At least 13 killed and dozens injured in Lahore

Monday’s suicide attack broke a brief lull in the wave of militant violence that has intensified since the army launched a major offensive in South Waziristan last fall.

Security officials in Pakistan’s second-largest city and the country’s cultural capital said the building targeted was used to interrogate suspected militants.

Rescue workers used bulldozers and heavy-machinery to clear away piles of rubble from collapsed buildings that were damaged by the blast, searching for survivors.

One hospital official said a young girl, who was on her way to school, was among the dead. Several women were among the wounded.

Taliban and al-Qaeda blamed

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, officials blamed the Taliban and militants linked to al Qaeda.

There have been several attacks against the security forces in Lahore over the past few years. Last year, 26 people were killed in attacks on the Federal Investigation Agency in the city.

Meanwhile, in the southern city of Karachi intelligence officials said they were trying to confirm the identity of a suspected American militant who was recently arrested.

Contrary to earlier reports, they said they no longer thought he was al Qaeda’s US-born mouthpiece, Adam Gadahn, as a senior government official had announced on Sunday.

act/AFP/dpa/AP

Editor: Thomas Baerthlein