Rescue teams Sunday entered the burning ruins of Marriott Hotel looking for bodies and survivors of a truck bombing which killed at least 60 people and left over 200 injured. There were fears more dead would be found inside the six-storey hotel, a popular gathering place for foreigners and local elite which was almost totally destroyed by Saturday night's suicide attack.
Nobody claimed responsibility, but blame fell on Islamic militants linked to al-Qaeda who have been responsible for scores of bombings across Pakistan this year that have left over 1,300 people dead.
The blast, so powerful it was heard for miles, blew an enormous crater in the ground and destroyed the outside wall of the compound. Buildings several kilometres away had windows blown out from the impact. Hospital officials said a US national was among the dead. The security official said women, children and an unknown number of foreigners had died.
IntelCenter, a US organisation that tracks militants, said an al Qaeda leader who claimed responsibility for a previous bombing in Pakistan threatened new attacks in a video this month to mark the anniversary of September 11. US President George W. Bush condemned the attack, which he said "is a reminder of the ongoing threat faced by Pakistan, the United States, and all those who stand against violent extremism." In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the "disgraceful" bombing had strengthened the resolve to fight militancy.
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