Islamabad - The suspected mastermind of last week's terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team managed to flee when police raided his apartment in eastern city of Lahore on Monday, according to a television report said.

Mohammad Aqeel, a member of an Islamic militant outfit, is believed to have planned the ambush on the convoy carrying Sri Lankan players to a stadium in Lahore last Tuesday. Eight people, including six policemen, died and seven members of the cricket team were injured in the attack.

The law enforcement agencies raided an apartment where Aqeel was residing but he managed to escape, Geo television reported, citing official sources. His comrade, identified only as "Talat", was taken into custody, the report said.

According to Geo television, Aqeel who is from Kahuta, around 30 kilometres from Islamabad, is also suspected for involvement in an attack on former president Pervez Musharraf.

A SIM card used by the Sri Lankan team's attackers - around a 12 people - and recovered by investigators led them to Aqeel, the report said.

No one has claimed the responsibility of the attack.

The law enforcers have not yet arrested any of the attackers, but around two dozen members of banned Islamic groups Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammad, are being questioned by the investigators.

The three groups are believed to have close links with Taliban operating in Pakistan's tribal region and North-Western Frontier Province. (dpa)