ISLAMABAD: At least eight people were killed and 20 others were injured in an explosion on Tuesday night in Islamabad’s Sihala neighbourhood , police said.
Police sources told Dawn that the blast was caused by an explosive device.
Earlier, the police had described the incident as a gas cylinder blast, but shortly after said that the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out.
Most of the victims were eating when the improvised explosive device (IED) planted at the roadside hotel went off, police officer Moin Ahmed told AFP.
The blast left a crater outside the hotel, located close to Sihala police station, a security official said.
The hotel was owned by two brothers. One died in the blast and the other was injured, the police officer said, adding that it was an act of terrorism.
Police, quoting witnesses, said a man dropped a shopping bag containing explosives outside the hotel and disappeared. It exploded shortly afterwards.
The blast was so devastating that it severely damaged the restaurant, its furniture and a taxi parked nearby.
The incident occurred in the compound of the restaurant while the gas pipeline was outside the compound. Officials of the gas company also rejected the notion that the blast had taken place in the pipeline.
Omer Wali, a cook, said he was cooking meal when the explosion occurred and he was not aware what caused the explosion. Nearly 15 to 20 people were eating their meal when the explosion rocked the restaurant.
Is it change in modus oper@ndi of Taliban/AlQaida or is it some other elements active now? Have TTP run out of “suicide-bombers”?