Re: Blast in Islamabad Supermarket Restaurant
Islamabad restaurant blast raises questions
ISLAMABAD, March 16 (AFP) - Blast at the popular Luna Caprese Italian eatery in Islamabad on Saturday evening, killing a Turkish aid worker and 10 others, is the first attack in which foreigners have been targeted in Islamabad since 2002 and may suggest a new trend, a top security official said on condition of anonymity. “This restaurant carries the repute that foreigners come here because hard drinks are served with food. The fact that militants chose to strike the place on a weekend night shows that they had done their homework,” a senior security official involved in the investigation told AFP. Islamabad police chief Shahid Nadeem Baluch said an improvised explosive device was used in the attack. “We have not yet determined if it was thrown from outside or planted,” he said. However, Baluch would not say if foreigners were the intended target. The senior security official said five to six kilogrammes of explosives with pellets and ball bearing were used -- a trademark of pro-Taliban militants blamed for several previous attacks. The attack will put pressure on Pakistan's incoming coalition government, which is due to be sworn in on Monday, analysts opined. (Posted @ 10:00 PST)