ID :
20482
Mon, 09/22/2008 - 09:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/20482
The shortlink copeid
Pak blast: Bomber had two targets -- 'direct and optional'
Rezaul H. Laskar
Islamabad, Sep 21 (PTI) The suicide bomber, who struck at the luxury Marriott hotel here killing 60 people, had probably intended to attack Pakistan's Parliament during President Asif Ali Zardari's maiden address there but switched to the 'optional' target after failing to enter the high-security area, officials said.
Rehman Malik, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Interior
Affairs, told reporters that authorities had received
intelligence reports on Thursday that "some big suicide
attempt" would be made on Parliament during Zardari's address
Saturday.
Malik said he and the Interior Ministry experts believed
the truck used in the attack tried to enter Islamabad's "red
zone" – a high security area in which Parliament, Supreme
Court, presidency and Prime Minister's House are located – at
the time of Zardari's speech.
Strict security arrangements put in place along the
Constitution Avenue, the central boulevard on which Parliament
is located, and orders barring the entry of private vehicles
prevented the suicide attacker from entering the area, he
said.
Malik said the attacker had two targets, "one direct and
one optional", and decided to strike at the Marriott -- which
was earlier also targeted by a suicide bomber in January 2007
-- after failing to attack the Parliament house.
The explosives in the truck were hidden under sand and
stones in view of construction activity going on in the "red
zone", where new accommodation is being built for some
ministers, he said.
Officials said they believed 1,000 kgs of explosives were
packed into the truck.
The explosion was so powerful that the bomber and several
security guards at the Marriott's main gate were blown to
bits, with no trace being found so far of their bodies.
The blast was heard up to 30 kms away and a body found
lying in front of the headquarters of state-run PTV, located
some 2,000 yards from the site of the explosion.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry Sunday said the
suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden truck into the main
gate of Marriott Hotel at 7.40 pm Saturday night when security
guards tried to stop the vehicle.
"Elaborate and unprecedented security arrangements were
made all around the red zone in view of general security
threat. Notwithstanding the security arrangements, the suicide
bomber exploded his (truck) outside the red zone perimeter,"
the statement said.
It said additional measures are being put in place "to
beef up security of public places, government installations
and likely targets of terrorist elements". Provincial
governments were directed to "review and revisit their
security plans".
The provincial authorities were also "asked to accelerate
their intelligence collection apparatus to apprehend the
terrorists before they carry out further cowardly and unholy
acts of terrorism".
The ministry said a joint investigation team headed by
the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency would
probe the attack and submit its initial report within 24
hours. The team includes senior representatives of the I.S.I.,
Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau.
The ministry also announced a reward of Rs. one crore for
any person who provides information regarding the perpetrators
of the attack. PTI RHL
Islamabad, Sep 21 (PTI) The suicide bomber, who struck at the luxury Marriott hotel here killing 60 people, had probably intended to attack Pakistan's Parliament during President Asif Ali Zardari's maiden address there but switched to the 'optional' target after failing to enter the high-security area, officials said.
Rehman Malik, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Interior
Affairs, told reporters that authorities had received
intelligence reports on Thursday that "some big suicide
attempt" would be made on Parliament during Zardari's address
Saturday.
Malik said he and the Interior Ministry experts believed
the truck used in the attack tried to enter Islamabad's "red
zone" – a high security area in which Parliament, Supreme
Court, presidency and Prime Minister's House are located – at
the time of Zardari's speech.
Strict security arrangements put in place along the
Constitution Avenue, the central boulevard on which Parliament
is located, and orders barring the entry of private vehicles
prevented the suicide attacker from entering the area, he
said.
Malik said the attacker had two targets, "one direct and
one optional", and decided to strike at the Marriott -- which
was earlier also targeted by a suicide bomber in January 2007
-- after failing to attack the Parliament house.
The explosives in the truck were hidden under sand and
stones in view of construction activity going on in the "red
zone", where new accommodation is being built for some
ministers, he said.
Officials said they believed 1,000 kgs of explosives were
packed into the truck.
The explosion was so powerful that the bomber and several
security guards at the Marriott's main gate were blown to
bits, with no trace being found so far of their bodies.
The blast was heard up to 30 kms away and a body found
lying in front of the headquarters of state-run PTV, located
some 2,000 yards from the site of the explosion.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry Sunday said the
suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden truck into the main
gate of Marriott Hotel at 7.40 pm Saturday night when security
guards tried to stop the vehicle.
"Elaborate and unprecedented security arrangements were
made all around the red zone in view of general security
threat. Notwithstanding the security arrangements, the suicide
bomber exploded his (truck) outside the red zone perimeter,"
the statement said.
It said additional measures are being put in place "to
beef up security of public places, government installations
and likely targets of terrorist elements". Provincial
governments were directed to "review and revisit their
security plans".
The provincial authorities were also "asked to accelerate
their intelligence collection apparatus to apprehend the
terrorists before they carry out further cowardly and unholy
acts of terrorism".
The ministry said a joint investigation team headed by
the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency would
probe the attack and submit its initial report within 24
hours. The team includes senior representatives of the I.S.I.,
Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau.
The ministry also announced a reward of Rs. one crore for
any person who provides information regarding the perpetrators
of the attack. PTI RHL
