The invention relates to a method for the detection of target nucleic acid sequences based on ligation of a first and a second probe that are hybridized adjacent on a target nucleic acid sequence, removal of any unligated probes, preferably by exonuclease treatment, amplification of a portion of the second probe that does not contain the target specific section to provide amplicons and detection of said amplicons. The second probe comprises a second target binding section, one or two primer binding sequences and an identifier. The first probe preferably does not comprise a primer binding sequence, preferably consists of a first target binding section and is preferably exonuclease resistant.