Suicide bomber targets US in Pakistan

4 Sep 2012, 3:02 pm   -   Source: AAP
A US government vehicle was rammed by a suicide car bomber in northwestern Pakistan, killing two. (AAP)

A US government vehicle was rammed by a suicide car bomber in northwestern Pakistan, killing two. (AAP)

A US government vehicle has been rammed by a suicide car bomber in northwestern Pakistan, killing two Pakistanis and wounding more than a dozen.

A suicide car bomber has rammed into a US government vehicle in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing two Pakistanis and wounding more than a dozen - including two Americans - in one of the worst attacks against the US in Pakistan in recent years.

The bombing was a vivid reminder of the danger of operating in Pakistan, especially in the northwest, where Taliban and al-Qaeda militants are strongest. The US has persisted because its work in Pakistan is seen as key to countering militants who threaten American interests in neighbouring Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Insurgents have carried out scores of bombings in Peshawar in recent years, but attacks against American targets have been relatively rare because of extensive security measures by the US government - ones that diplomats sometimes complain limit their effectiveness and ability to move around.

The US said it would review its security procedures following Monday's attack, which was condemned by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"We pray for the safe recovery of both American and Pakistani victims, and once again we deplore the cowardly act of suicide bombing and terrorism that has affected so many around the world," Clinton said during a visit to Indonesia.

The armoured four-wheel drive from the US consulate in Peshawar was attacked as it travelled through a heavily guarded area of the city that hosts various international organisations, including the United Nations. It was unclear how the bomber penetrated the area and knew which vehicle to attack.

The car driven by the bomber was packed with 110 kilograms of explosives, police said. The blast ripped apart the 4WD - tossing its engine at least six metres away - and started a raging fire. Rescue workers and residents rushed to put out the fire and pull away the dead and wounded. All that was left of the vehicle was a charred mass of twisted metal.

The attack killed two Pakistanis and wounded 19 other people, including police who were protecting the Americans, said senior police officer Javed Khan.

Two Americans and two Pakistanis working at the Peshawar consulate were among the wounded, said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, who called the attack a "heinous act".

The wounds to the Americans were not life-threatening, a US embassy official said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion will fall on Taliban and al-Qaeda militants who have long had their sights set on the United States.

American drones have fired scores of missiles at the militants' hideouts in Pakistan in recent years, and Washington has given the Pakistani military billions of dollars to fight the extremists.

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