Islamist militants armed with guns, grenades and suicide car bombs targeted the US consulate in Pakistan’s northwestern capital and a political rally, killing 51 people on Monday.
The attacks in quick succession were among the deadliest so far this year in nuclear-armed Pakistan, where insecurity has raised concerns in the US as Washington steps up the fight in Afghanistan and against al-Qaeda.
Pakistan’s Taliban claimed responsibility for the consulate attack, saying it was to avenge a US drone war targeting top militants in Pakistan’s border areas with Afghanistan, and threatened further assaults on Americans.
The UN yesterday announced a two-day closure of its offices in Peshawar, citing security fears following the attack.
“For security reasons, United Nations’ offices in Peshawar have closed temporarily for two days,” UN spokeswoman Ishrat Rizvi said. “We took this step as a precautionary measure and for the protection of our staff, we have advised them to work from home for two days. This step was taken because of security fears.”
That heavily armed militants managed to approach the US mission underscored the potency of their threat despite stepped-up Pakistani offensives and US drone attacks focused on Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked commanders.
Five security officials were killed when at least eight militants armed with guns, grenades and two car bombs targeted the heavily guarded US consulate in Peshawar, a city of 2.5 million on the edge of Pakistan’s lawless tribal belt.
“I am outraged and deeply saddened by the assault on our consulate in Peshawar,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. “The assault this morning is part of a wave of violence perpetrated by brutal extremists who seek to undermine Pakistan’s democracy and sow fear and discord.”
The US said at least two Pakistani security guards employed by the consulate were killed and a number of others seriously wounded, but that no Americans died.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari vowed to parliament on Monday: “Militancy and extremism have been the greatest threat to our national security in recent times. I assure you we will fight militancy to the finish.”
Police said two car bombs exploded — at a checkpoint 50m from the mission and the second laden with about 100kg of explosives close to the consulate gate, followed by an exchange of fire.
North West Frontier Province information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told reporters that five security officials and six militants were killed.
The security barrier near the US consulate gate was damaged, and shells from rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades were left lying in the area, which was sealed off by Pakistani police and army, witnesses said.
Although the precise number of assailants was unclear, Bashir Ahmad Bilour, a provincial Cabinet minister, said two militants fled during the crossfire.
US missile strikes have killed more than 860 people since August 2008 in Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal belt, surging under US President Barack Obama as he steps up efforts to end the war in neighboring Afghanistan.
“We accept the attacks on the American consulate. This is revenge for drone attacks,” Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Azam Tariq said by telephone from an undisclosed location. “We will carry out more such attacks. We will target any place where there are Americans.”
Peshawar lies on the edge of Pakistan’s tribal belt — branded by Washington a global headquarters of al-Qaeda.
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