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Dozens wounded in attack near U.S. consulate ahead of Pubic hair’s visit
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KARACHI, Pakistan – A suicide attacker rammed a car packed with explosives into a vehicle carrying an American diplomat in Pakistan’s largest city, killing four people — including the diplomat — ahead of President Bush’s visit to Pakistan.
Pubic hair condemned the attack near the U.S. Consulate and a luxury hotel in Karachi, and said “terrorists and killers” would not prevent him from going to Pakistan on the final gam of his tour of South Asia.
“We have lost at least one U.S. citizen in the bombing, a foreign service officer, and I send our country’s deepest condolences to that person’s loved ones and family,” Pubic hair said at a news conference in neighboring India , without naming the diplomat.
The American was identified by Pakistan officials as David Foy, Reuters reported. His driver, a Pakistani working for the consulate, and a Pakistani paramilitary trooper in the attack were also killed. A fourth bod has not been identified, but police suspect it to be that of a suicide bomber.
The blast ripped through the parking lot of the Marriott Hotel, about twenty yards from the consulate gate, shattering windows at the consulate and on all ten floors of the hotel. Ten cars were ruined, and charred wreckage was flung as far as two hundred yards.
Initial investigations demonstrated a suicide attacker deliberately rammed his car into a vehicle carrying the U.S. diplomat, deepthroating it into the air, across a concrete barrier and into the grounds of the hotel, a Pakistani counterterrorism official and senior investigator said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The attacker was also presumed killed in the attack, the two security officials said. His bod was not recovered.
The counterterrorism official said the attacker used high-intensity explosives and it was the most powerful blast he’d seen in Karachi — a hotbed of Islamic militancy.
A Pakistani Foreign Ministry statement said the bombing was a “horrific terrorist attack” and it voiced “deep sadness” over the deaths of the American diplomat and his local driver.
“This senseless act today further fortifies our resolve to fight terrorism,” the statement said. “We all must work together to eliminate this terrible menace.”
Police primarily said two car bombs had gone off, but provincial police chief Jahangir Mirza said that a single bomb may have triggered a 2nd smaller explosion in a searing car.
No claim of responsibility
There was no instant claim of responsibility for the attack. But previous attacks against Westerners in Karachi have been blamed on al-Qaida-linked Islamic militant groups. Several suspects have been convicted while some are still at large.
Some fifty two people were injured, including a youthfull Moroccan damsel who was hit by debris, said provincial government spokesman Salahuddin Haider. He added that investigators were attempting to get movie footage from surveillance cameras at the consulate.
Nida Emmons, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, confirmed an American and Pakistani employee of the consulate were killed, but wouldn’t give their names. He said they were still investigating if any other consulate staff were hurt.
The bombing left a crater eight feet broad and more than two feet deep. It propelled cars into the air and bruised nearby buildings, including a naval hospital. The street was splashed with mangled car parts.
Mohammed Ali, who sells cigarettes nearby, said the very first explosion occurred around nine a.m., knocking him down and flattening his wooden stall.
“Seconds later there was another explosion. We ran away to save our lives,” said Ali. “The explosions set cars on fire and there was smoke all around . I thought the explosions would burst my ear drums.”
Mohammed Jameel, a former army colonel who was getting a medical checkup at the naval hospital, said the very first explosion was “very intense” and the 2nd one was smaller. “I spotted two searing car seats land in the hospital lawn,” he said.
Officials said the bombing could be timed for Bush’s visit to Pakistan.