Car Blast Near Army HQ In Pakistan Kills 34

At least 34 people have been killed and dozens injured in an apparent
suicide bomb attack in Pakistan.
Car Blast Near Army HQ In Pakistan Kills 34

9:09am UK, Monday November 02, 2009

Graham Fitzgerald, Sky News Online
At least 34 people have been killed and dozens injured in an apparent
suicide bomb attack in Pakistan.

The blast, in Rawalpindi, happened outside a four-star hotel not far
from the army's main headquarters.

The explosives were planted in a vehicle in a car park.

"We believe that it was a suicide attack and our initial investigation
also endorses this," said a local police official.

Emergency services told Sky News there were 34 people dead and 32 injured.

Rawalpindi is just a few miles away from the capital, Islamabad.

The blast came as the United Nations suspended development work in two
key areas along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan because of security
concerns.

It follows a wave of attacks in the country which have claimed around 250 lives.

The attacks have apparently been in retaliation for a military
offensive to seize control of Taliban strongholds in South Waziristan.
The UN plans to reduce the level of international workers in Pakistan
and restrict itself to emergency, humanitarian relief and security
operations.

In a statement it said it would also carry out "any other essential
operations as advised by the secretary-general".

A UN spokeswoman said the organisation was still deciding which
programmes will be suspended and how many staff will be withdrawn from
the country.

Those that remain will be given additional security.

"We have had 11 of our colleagues killed because of the security
situation," said the spokeswoman. "All of the decisions are being made
in light of that."