[NYTr] Suicide Bomber Targets Islamabad Marriott
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The Independent - Jan 27, 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2188242.ece
Suicide Bomber Targets Marriott Hotel in Islamabad
By Justin Huggler, Asia Correspondent
Two people were killed in a suicide bombing at a hotel in the centre of
Islamabad yesterday. The Marriott Hotel, which was targetted, is a
landmark in the Pakistan capital - one closely identified with
Westerners. Just around the corner from the presidential palace and
parliament, it is the preferred hotel of visiting diplomats and
businessmen.
But for the courage of a security guard, who was killed, the death
count could have been far higher. The attacks took place at 2.37pm
local time, when the hotel restaurants would have been packed for lunch.
The Marriott is a regular haunt of Islamabad's small population of
Western expats, because its nightclub has one of very few licensed bars
in Pakistan - which is only open to foreigners. That may also have made
it a target. The suicide bombing took place at the entrance to the
nightclub. Witnesses described seeing a man running towards the
entrance, where he was stopped by a security guard, and detonated his
explosives.
An eyewitness who did not give his name told reporters: 'As I was
driving, I heard a huge blast at my back. The windscreen of my car
shattered. When I turned round, I saw flesh scattered on the road.'
The dead security guard was named as Mohammed Tariq. The bomber was
also killed. At least seven people were injured, all of them Pakistani.
Pro-Taliban militants in the tribal areas on the border with
Afghanistan last week vowed attacks in retaliation for an air strike in
their territory in which at least eight people were killed. The
Marriott has been targetted before, in a bombing in 2004 which wounded
several people - and the US has banned its diplomats from visiting it.
Another reason the hotel may have been targetted yesterday is the
Indian High Commission was holding a reception to mark India's Republic
Day inside.
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