Posted on 09/20/2008 8:04:13 AM PDT by Red Boots
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A huge explosion ripped through part of the heavily guarded Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital Saturday, damaging buildings in a wide radius, killing at least two people and wounding at least 25.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Fox News reports a big explosion, possibly a car bomb, hit the Marriot Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. It looks bad. Prayers for all concerned.
Foreigners among 24 killed in Islamabad suicide attack
ISLAMABAD: At least 24 people were killed, including foreigners and scores others injured, many of them seriously, when an explosives laden truck rammed into Marriot Hotel here on Saturday.
Over 50 people have been brought to the local hospitals.
The powerful explosion caused fire in many parts of the hotel besides damaging the buildings around the hotel.
Emergency has been declared in the hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The Marriott in Islamabad is a favorite place for foreigners to stay and gather, and it has previously been targeted by militants.
Ambulances rushed to the scene, where a fire also burned, smoke hovered and the carcasses of vehicles were scattered. Windows in buildings hundreds of meters away were damaged.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, and its exact cause was unclear. But Pakistan, a U.S. ally in the war on terror, has faced a wave of militant violence in recent weeks following army-led offensives against insurgents in its border regions, though the capital has avoided most of the bloodshed.
Well they let al Queda into their nation.
So as the old saying goes: you get what you pay for....
Odd way for the Muslims to celebrate Ramadan.
I’m watching on Fox. The hotel looks like it is almost completely engulfed in flames. There is an enormous crater in front of the hotel, so a truck bomb seems likely.
How long will "Mr. Ten Percent" last?? Isn't he in Washington, DC just now -- extra motivation for the murderous b@stards who did this. "Praise be to Allah" indeed.
The BBC reported that 2/3 of the hotel was engulfed in flames. I’d expect the death toll to rise.
Just another step along the way of us eventually taking control of their nukes..
The BBC’s Barbara Plett who is at the scene says the blast created a 20ft (6m) deep crater.
Wow.
Pakistan, again..
Pay attention folks - to where the violence and barbarism of Islam is focused and originating from.....
Pakistan is the “exile state” created to house Muslims who couldn’t live peacefully along side the non-Muslims in India.
Dump truck bomb...
Senior CIA officers were target of Islamabad blast
Islamabad , Sept 20 (ANI): Several senior officers of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who are reported to be currently visiting Islamabad were the target of the blast at the Marriott Hotel which took place here tonight.
Well placed sources said that Marriott Hotel is usual hotel choice of the US officials and it seems that militants tipped off that certain high level US intelligence officers were currently staying at the hotel.
While no confirmation was available but Pakistan sources said it was clear that the explosion was aimed at specific targets based on a tip off.
AQ usually does several big bombings at a time...
(holding breath and praying)
That’s sad. It’s the only decent western hotel in Islamabad.
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