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US diplomats escape death after bomb attack in Peshawar
ISLAMABAD: US diplomats escaped death when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in Pakistan's north western city of Peshawar on Friday, killing a passerby and wounding two American nationals and nine locals.
The bomb went off as two armoured US vehicles were traveling in a convoy towards the consulate on the University Road in the city.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The TTP spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan said that it was a planted bomb and the target was the US. "Our first target is Pakistan, then US and NATO countries. We have sent people to every corner of the country to avenge bin Laden's killing," the spokesman said.
Alberto Rodriguez, the US embassy spokesperson in Islamabad said the diplomats were travelling in armoured cars."The attack was deliberately targeted against consulate vehicles," he said.
"It was a bomb blast. It may have been a suicide attack. We are still investigating."
The US maintains a significant presence in Peshawar, a city close to the Afghan border. In August 2008, Lynne Tracy, a US diplomat at the consulate survived an attack on her armoured vehicle. Last year in April, militants attacked the US consulate, killing eight people. None of the dead were US citizens, but several were security guards working for the consulate.
Pakistan has seen an upsurge in violence since the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. This is, however, the first attack against westerners in the country after bin Laden's killing.
Al-Qaida and its Pakistani Taliban allies have threatened to avenge the May 2 killing of Osama bin Laden by US commandos. On Wednesday, swarms of militants attacked a police checkpoint just outside the city, killing two officers and 15 attackers died in a fire fight that lasted hours through the night.
Last Friday, a double suicide bombing killed more than 100 people in Shabqadar town, 35 km north of Peshawar. Seventy eight of the dead were cadets of Frontier Constabulary, a police force mostly deployed in the semi-autonomous tribal regions.
Pakistan has made clear its displeasure that US did not warn it in advance about the offensive against bin Laden's, and has insisted that it had no idea of the terror mastermind hiding in Abbottabad.
US officials have recently visited Pakistan to try and mend ties, and assure Pakistan's continued cooperation in the war against terror.
US diplomats escape death after bomb attack in Peshawar - The Times of India
ISLAMABAD: US diplomats escaped death when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in Pakistan's north western city of Peshawar on Friday, killing a passerby and wounding two American nationals and nine locals.
The bomb went off as two armoured US vehicles were traveling in a convoy towards the consulate on the University Road in the city.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The TTP spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan said that it was a planted bomb and the target was the US. "Our first target is Pakistan, then US and NATO countries. We have sent people to every corner of the country to avenge bin Laden's killing," the spokesman said.
Alberto Rodriguez, the US embassy spokesperson in Islamabad said the diplomats were travelling in armoured cars."The attack was deliberately targeted against consulate vehicles," he said.
"It was a bomb blast. It may have been a suicide attack. We are still investigating."
The US maintains a significant presence in Peshawar, a city close to the Afghan border. In August 2008, Lynne Tracy, a US diplomat at the consulate survived an attack on her armoured vehicle. Last year in April, militants attacked the US consulate, killing eight people. None of the dead were US citizens, but several were security guards working for the consulate.
Pakistan has seen an upsurge in violence since the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. This is, however, the first attack against westerners in the country after bin Laden's killing.
Al-Qaida and its Pakistani Taliban allies have threatened to avenge the May 2 killing of Osama bin Laden by US commandos. On Wednesday, swarms of militants attacked a police checkpoint just outside the city, killing two officers and 15 attackers died in a fire fight that lasted hours through the night.
Last Friday, a double suicide bombing killed more than 100 people in Shabqadar town, 35 km north of Peshawar. Seventy eight of the dead were cadets of Frontier Constabulary, a police force mostly deployed in the semi-autonomous tribal regions.
Pakistan has made clear its displeasure that US did not warn it in advance about the offensive against bin Laden's, and has insisted that it had no idea of the terror mastermind hiding in Abbottabad.
US officials have recently visited Pakistan to try and mend ties, and assure Pakistan's continued cooperation in the war against terror.
US diplomats escape death after bomb attack in Peshawar - The Times of India
