Islamabad says bomb blast a warning to the U.S., Pakistan
Islamabad says bomb blast a warning to the U.S., Pakistan
Agencies, Karachi, Pakistan
The deadly car bomb attack on the U.S. Consulate here was a clear warning to the United States and Pakistan to abandon its war against terrorism, Pakistani authorities said on Sunday.
Friday's blast killed 11 people including six women and injured more than 50, blew a four-meter (13-foot) hole in the consulate wall and shattered windows within a one-kilometer (more than half-a-mile) radius.
Although investigators initially believed it was a suicide attack, they now suspect the bomb could have been a remote- controlled device planted in a driving school-owned Toyota Corolla carrying four women.
Meanwhile, U.S. FBI agents fanned out on Sunday over the site of a deadly car bombing outside the U.S. consulate, seeking clues as investigators tried to reconstruct how the attack took place.
About 20 Americans - most, if not all, FBI agents flown in to help in the probe - extensively videotaped and photographed the scene of carnage where 11 people died and 45 were injured in a massive blast on Friday.
The home secretary of Sindh province, Brig. Mukhtar Sheikh, said although the culprits have not been identified, authorities were sure the attack was linked to the ongoing battle against Islamic militants.
"We are working on different leads, but the message of the blast was for America and that is why the U.S. consulate was targeted," he told AFP.
"It sounds a warning to the Pakistani government as well, as we are an ally of the international coalition against terrorism," he said, referring to its efforts to track down al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters fleeing from Afghanistan.
"This is a big challenge. There can be more attacks."
In talks here last week with top leaders in Pakistan's military regime U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld described their cooperation in the fight against terrorism as "truly wonderful".
Such praise may prove to be a double-edged sword for Pakistan's leadership as it faces a wave of suicide bombings waged by al-Qaeda and other extremists who are battling for their survival.
Pakistani police have so far not been able to trace any record of the previously unknown group, al-Qanoon (The Law), which has claimed responsibility for the attack.
"So far we have not been able to establish the presence of any such group. It could be possible that some other group might be using a fake name to misguide the investigators," Sheikh said.