Four Dead in Explosion at Danish Embassy in Islamabad

June 2, 2008 Iron Mill Interactive Media politics 0

Deadly blast hits Pakistan capital

Security forces and emergency workers rushed
to the scene of the blast [AFP]

At least four people have been reported dead after a large explosion outside the Danish embassy in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

The suspected car bomb in the embassy’s parking area caused extensive damage to the building and left a huge crater in the area on Monday.

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Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from the scene, said that a number of bodies could be seen on the streets outside the embassy.

He said that the explosion happened at about 12.10pm [0710GMT] and security forces and ambulances attended the scene.

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“Dozens of bodies are littered all over the place. The blast could be heard all over the city, and has literally taken the leaves off the trees … and broken all the windows in adjoining areas,” he reported.

Cartoon row

“It must be remembered that there was considerable anger at the Danish because of the cartoon affair,” he said, referring to recent re-publication of cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad.

“The timing is very strange… It is not an issue right now, it’s over. No one, not even in the tribal areas, is talking about the cartoons”

Ahmed Qureshi, political analyst

Denmark had moved out most of its foreign staff in recent months due to threats linked to the row over the cartoons, diplomatic sources told the AFP news agency.

Ahmed Qureshi, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera that the timing was very strange if it was an attack in response to the publication of the cartoons.

“The timing is very strange… It is not an issue right now, it’s over. No one, not even in the tribal areas, is talking about the cartoons,” he said. 

Sheikh Abdul Wahed Pedersen, Imam of Danish speaking Muslims, agreed.
“The timing is indeed strange … It is not a hot topic here [in Demark], it is not a hot topic anywhere else,” he said.

“It could also be a direct attack on the political situation in Pakistan – a double-hit… It could also be in relation to Afghanistan, Denmark is working in Afghanistan.”

The country has about 550 troops stationed in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province.

However, diplomatic sources told the AFP news agency that Denmark had moved out most of its foreign staff in recent months due to threats linked to the row over the cartoons.

Security alert

Source: english.aljazeera.net

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