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Car bombing kills 30, wounds 250 in Pakistan
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-05-27 21:03

Car bombing kills 30, wounds 250 in Pakistan
A man injured in a bomb attack lies at a hospital in Lahore May 27, 2009. [Agencies]
The offensive has spurred fears that the Taliban could stage revenge assaults.

The spy agency is not directly involved in the fighting in Swat but is responsible for gathering intelligence to support the operation. It has also been behind the arrest of top al-Qaida operatives in recent years, and is responsible for the detention and interrogation of terrorist suspects.

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In March, a group of gunmen attacked Sri Lanka's visiting cricket team in the heart of the city, killing six police officers and a driver and wounding several players.

Later that month, gunmen raided a police academy on the city's outskirts, leaving at least 12 dead during an eight-hour standoff with security forces, including army troops. Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud claimed responsibility.

A variety of militant groups exist in Pakistan beyond al-Qaida and the Taliban, and officials and analysts believe they are increasingly inter-linked, which could make it easier to stage more sophisticated, multidimensional attacks.

Punjab is Pakistan's most populous province and home to some of its most violent groups.

The Inter-Services Intelligence agency is believed to have helped set some of them up in Pakistan's dispute with India over the Kashmir region.

US officials have said the spy agency still maintains links with some of the outfits, vexing Washington.