Just as I was leaving for Lunch with a friend, we heard a very loud blast. I took this picture from my office. You can see the smoke rising from the site of the blast in the picture below. It was only in the restaurant that we learned from GEO News that eight people had been killed in this blast which took place in the parking of the Denmark Embassy. This country is really going to the dogs!
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The 2008 Danish embassy bombing was an attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan on June 2, 2008. The suspected suicide car bombing in the parking lot of the embassy took place at around 12:10 pm
killing at least five and wounding many more. The Danish national security intelligence agency PET has concluded that al-Qaeda was behind the attack.[3] Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack on June 5, 2008
The attack was confirmed to be an answer to the reprinting of Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten's Muhammed cartoons in February 2006, as well as the presence of Danish troops in Afghanistan.
Around 12:10 pm on June 2, 2008, a stolen Toyota Corolla with a man at the wheel arrived at high speed, passing in front of the entrance of the Danish embassy, then stopping at the parking lot in front of the complex. Seconds later a suicide car bomb detonated, killing at least six to ten and wounded several others The events leading up to the explosion and the explosion itself was captured on tape by the embassy's video surveillance cameras, which was gathered by the PET and then handed over to Pakistani authorities as part of their criminal enquiry.[8] The car used to bomb the embassy was able to get past heightened security because it had diplomatic registration plates
The blast left a large crater in front of the building, as well as significant structural damage. A cloud of black smoke was reported to be visible across the city of Islamabad. A Pakistani Development Organisation building took the brunt of the blast as well as the Danish embassy. Other offices and residential building also were damaged by the car bomb. The residences of the Dutch ambassador and the Australian defense attache, located near the Danish embassy, were damaged in the blast, but none of their staff were reported injured The blast also shattered the windowpanes of the near-by "India House", which houses India's ambassador to Pakistan.[12] There is speculation about the composition of the bomb. Some sources states that 25 kg of explosives were used
while others states that a combination of fertilisers and diesel fuel, boosted with 5 kg of explosives were used.
A reporter from Al Jazeera, Kamal Hyder, reported seeing a number of bodies on the street outside the embassy.
The Danish government received the news of the attack at 9 o'clock in the morning, and the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Per Stig Møller immediately condemned the attack on the strongest possible terms, and the Danish cabinet was subsequently called in for an emergency session.Later in the afternoon the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen followed suit and condemned the attack as well. The Norwegian and Swedish embassies were completely evacuated as a safety precaution, and Danish citizens have been advised against all travel to Pakistan, and if already in the country, to be very careful
Between six and eight people are believed to be dead and 27 wounded. According to the chargé d'affaires of the embassy in Islamabad, Michael Hjortsø, none of those killed were Danish employees of the embassy, though two victims are reported to be locals employed at the embassy, and the Danish foreign ministry announced that one victim was a Danish citizen of Pakistani origin not working at the embassy.Damage was also reported at the residence of the Indian High Commissioner.
A security guard at a nearby United Nations Development Programme building was among those killed.Six of the wounded were UNDP employes
Prior to the explosion, the Danish Embassy had received several threats, the last as late as a month before the attack, Pakistani media reported on tribal people who threatened to travel to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad to blow up the Danish embassy there.
One and a half month before the attack, Al-Qaida's Deputy Operations Chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri, urged Muslims to strike against Danish targets in an interview published by As-Sahab.
In the interview, published April 17, 2008 al-Zawahiri asked why he in 2003 threatened Norway, Denmark and other countries for their support for the United States and the fight against terrorism, saying: "We have threatened Norway and all other countries participating in the war against the Muslims, as part of the defence of our ideology, nation, ourselves and our sacred riter, the al-Zawahiri and continues: "Denmark has done its utmost to demonstrate its hostility to Muslims by repeatedly dishonour the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him salvation. I call on all Muslim, who has the possibility, to the detriment Denmark for the honour to show your support for our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him salvation, and defend his estimated honour."
Denmark had downgraded the embassy threat in response to perceived security threats, as well as other embassies in the Islamic world.
regards
Habiba
http://www.forumpakistan.com/newspapers.html
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