Two killed in suicide attack in Pakistani capital
Source: Reuters
(Adds US, British advisories to nationals) By Kamran Haider ISLAMABAD, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed a security guard and himself in an attack outside the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital on Friday, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said. "It was a suicide attack. The bomber and one security official of the hotel was killed," Sherpao told Reuters. The blast at around 2:37 p.m. (0937 GMT) was just hours before an Indian High Commission function to celebrate Republic Day was due to be held at the hotel. The High Commission said the function will be held as planned. At least six people were wounded but there were no foreigners among them, officials said. The Marriott is one of Islamabad's main hotels, and is frequented by foreign diplomats and businessmen, making it a potential target for militants angered by President Pervez Musharraf's post-Sept. 11, 2001, alliance with the United States and his efforts to make peace with India. Musharraf condemned the attack and vowed to continue fighting terrorism. "President Musharraf reiterated Pakistan's unwavering commitment in the fight against extremism and terrorism and said that all out efforts be made to unmask and bring to book the perpetrators of this crime," the official Associated Press of Pakistan quoted him as saying. A wrecked car could be seen on the road at the side of the Marriott. "He was on foot. The blast occurred when he tried to enter the hotel," Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, Islamabad police chief, said. The bomber's remains were being examined by forensic experts. "The bomber appears to be in twenties. His face is not recognisable. His skull and lower body parts have been found," retired Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema, head of the Interior Ministry's Crisis Management Cell, said. A Reuters journalist saw blood and flesh scattered over the tarmac close to a side entrance, where the hotel's night club and laundry services are located. A motorist, who declined to give his name, described hearing and feeling the explosion as he drove by. "As I was driving, I heard a huge blast at my back. The windscreen of my car shattered. When I turned round, I saw flesh scattered on the road." Police cordoned off the area and sirens wailed through the district, where many government buildings are located, and police used batons to drive back journalists, photographers and television crews congregated at the site. The U.S. embassy barred staff from visiting the hotel after a small blast in the lobby in October, 2004. On Thursday, the U.S. embassy renewed its advisory to Americans to avoid the area, exercise caution, and limit unnecessary travel. British Foreign Office also issed a similar advisory, urging citizens to stay clear of restaurants and other places where Westerners gather. Seven people were wounded in that blast, including a U.S. diplomat, though the Pakistani government said it was caused by an electrical short circuit. Whereas bomb attacks are commonplace elsewhere in Pakistan, they have been fairly rare in Islamabad in recent years, though there were a series of scares late last year, when unexploded rockets were found close to government ministries and the military intelligence headquarters.
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