Suicide blast kills 6 at Danish mission in Pakistan
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
ISLAMABAD, June 02 (Reuters): A suspected suicide bomber blew up a car outside the Danish embassy in the Pakistani capital Monday killing six people and wounding about 20, police and hospital officials said.
The blast will raise fresh questions about the safety of foreigners in Pakistan, even though militant attacks have dropped off since a new government came to power after a February general election vowing to negotiate to end violence.
Danish newspapers infuriated Muslims around the world when they published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in late 2005. The cartoons, considered blasphemous by Muslims, sparked deadly protests and attacks on Danish missions.
The embassy in Islamabad was temporarily shut in 2006 after violent protests over the cartoons.
There was no claim of responsibility but residents of the neighborhood said they had feared an attack on the mission.
"Since the printing of cartoons, we always had this fear," said Sana Khalid, a woman living in the area. "But what they did to our religion, they deserve it."
The blast, which came just after 1 p.m. (0700 GMT), destroyed the embassy gate and damaged the front of the building and vehicles in the compound in the upmarket district of Islamabad where other missions and diplomats' houses are located.
Police and security officials said all of the dead and wounded were Pakistanis and the bomb was suspected to have been set off by a suicide bomber in a car.
The blast left a crater about three feet (one meter) deep on the road outside the mission. A car engine was lying about 30 feet from the crater.
The bomb caused extensive damage to nearby buildings and vehicles. A Pakistani guard lay dead at the gate while men hauled blood-drenched wounded into ambulances.
Pakistan's main stock index ended higher in low volume despite the blast and dealers said trade in the rupee, which ended for the day just after news of the blast, was not affected.
The blast will raise fresh questions about the safety of foreigners in Pakistan, even though militant attacks have dropped off since a new government came to power after a February general election vowing to negotiate to end violence.
Danish newspapers infuriated Muslims around the world when they published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in late 2005. The cartoons, considered blasphemous by Muslims, sparked deadly protests and attacks on Danish missions.
The embassy in Islamabad was temporarily shut in 2006 after violent protests over the cartoons.
There was no claim of responsibility but residents of the neighborhood said they had feared an attack on the mission.
"Since the printing of cartoons, we always had this fear," said Sana Khalid, a woman living in the area. "But what they did to our religion, they deserve it."
The blast, which came just after 1 p.m. (0700 GMT), destroyed the embassy gate and damaged the front of the building and vehicles in the compound in the upmarket district of Islamabad where other missions and diplomats' houses are located.
Police and security officials said all of the dead and wounded were Pakistanis and the bomb was suspected to have been set off by a suicide bomber in a car.
The blast left a crater about three feet (one meter) deep on the road outside the mission. A car engine was lying about 30 feet from the crater.
The bomb caused extensive damage to nearby buildings and vehicles. A Pakistani guard lay dead at the gate while men hauled blood-drenched wounded into ambulances.
Pakistan's main stock index ended higher in low volume despite the blast and dealers said trade in the rupee, which ended for the day just after news of the blast, was not affected.