JOIN USBlast hits US staff car in Pakistan
A suicide bomber rammed a car filled with explosives into a US government vehicle in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, killing two Pakistanis and wounding 19 others including two Americans, officials said.
The attack was a vivid reminder of the danger US officials face while working in Pakistan, especially in the country’s northwest where Taliban and al-Qaida militants are strongest.
Insurgents have carried out scores of bombings in Peshawar in recent years, but attacks against American targets have been relatively rare because of the extensive security measures taken by the US government.
The bomber struck the armored vehicle after it left the US Consulate in Peshawar and as it was traveling through an area of the city that hosts various international organizations, including the UN, said police officer Pervez Khan, who was part of the security escort for the vehicle. The attack killed two Pakistanis and wounded 19 other people, said senior police officer Javed Khan.
Two Americans and two Pakistanis working at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar were among the wounded, said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, who called the attack a "heinous act."
The wounds to the Americans were not life-threatening, a U.S. Embassy official said on condition of anonymity because the information had not been officially released.
The charge d'affaires at the US Embassy, Richard Hoagland, praised Pakistani security forces for saving the lives of the four consulate employees. "In this dangerous world where terrorists can strike at any moment, we must all work together — Pakistanis and Americans alike — because we have a strong mutual interest in defeating terrorism," he said.
The car driven by the suicide bomber contained 110 kilograms (240 pounds) of explosives, Pakistani police officer Abdul Haq said.
The blast ripped apart the SUV carrying the U.S. Consulate employees and triggered a raging fire. Rescue workers and local residents rushed to put out the fire and pull away the dead and wounded. All that was left of the SUV in the end was a carcass of blackened, twisted metal.
The driver of the vehicle that was attacked, Atif Nawaz, said the force of the blast knocked him out. "When I came to my senses, I jumped out of my car and screamed, 'What happened?'" said Nawaz, whose face and hands were badly burned. "An American was also with me in my car at the time, and I don't know what happened to him."
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion will fall on Taliban and al-Qaida militants.