Islamabad, Pakistan – A Suicide truck bomber killed at least 100 people in the centre of Islamabad last night and injured up to 250 when he drove his pickup into the upmarket Marriott hotel in the centre of the city.
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The huge blast was caused by a one-ton bomb driven into the heavily guarded high-security sector of the city, which includes all the principal government buildings.
The blast left a 30ft crater and uprooted trees. Dozens of cars were destroyed.
he death toll is expected to rise into the hundreds — the ground floor of the hotel was packed with 500 Muslims marking the end of their day’s fasting for Ramadan.
“Everybody started screaming,” said an eyewitness named Abbasi, in between calling out for any survivors left lying under the rubble of the lobby, as fire spread through the floors.
“I pulled out 16 wounded people but didn’t see any dead,” said the young waiter, his white jacket stained with blood.
Walking past reception, Rehan Ahmed, an executive in his thirties, saw a woman employee killed by flying glass as she stood by the scanners used to check people coming in.
“It was like hell,” Ahmed said, his suit jacket torn.
“It was like scenes from a movie.”
It was the most devastating attack yet by Islamist militants in the Pakistani capital, and the second on the Marriott hotel in two years.
Many of the 250 wounded were in a critical condition.
President George W Bush added his condemnation. “I strongly condemn the terrorist bombing in Islamabad that targeted and killed many innocents,” he said. “This attack is a reminder of the ongoing threat faced by Pakistan, the United States and all those who stand against violent extremism.”
Bush is due to meet with Zardari in New York on Tuesday before the United Nations general assembly.
The bombing was the third attack on the American hotel chain in Pakistan in 2½ years. It came as the US stepped up strikes against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants believed to be hiding in Pakistan.
pakistan gave permission for their soldiers to fire on american soldiers if the american dare go over the border to raid in on al quida.
I take it america would be welcome now after the bombing!
Al-queda just crawled out from under their rock in the cave.
Democrats and those who support Obama – see there is no talking or negotiations possible with these sub-human homicide bombers. Most of those murdered are Moslems.
Israel wake up – this is your future if you continue the surrender to PA.
Your either with us or against us –
I suspect this is just the beginning. looks like they’re trying to influence the elections.
relax, it’s 40 killed, bad enough but it’s not 100!
Death to Allah!
moishe zichmich- thats the coldest, most heartless comment ive read on this site and ive seen plenty
This is why We Need to Vote Smart
McCAIN PALIN for President
They will Protect us from Such Hate Crimes
Terrorist Attacks Here in the US and Abroad
VOTE SMART
McCAIN PALIN
Lock & Load
When Pakistan told its soldiers to shoot American
soldiers, THAT was the day Pakistan allowed the terrorists to feel relaxed and justified about doing their usual which we all know is, KILL AND HATE.
Yet another reason to vote for McCain and Palin!
More Islamists have been murdered by Obama bin Laden (I mean Osama), than all those killed by America and Israel and England and Australia and Spain and all the allied countries COMBINED!!
The idiot Fundamentalist Muslims continue to cheer and applaud the man who has killed more of their own than ANYONE.
McCain and Palin guys!!!