Suicide bomb attack in Islamabad kills six

Islamabad: An explosion carried out by a suicide bomber in a high-security area of Islamabad killed at least six people and injured five on Saturday evening.

The blast at around 7.30 pm took place on Margalla Road in Jinnah Super Market, which is near the diplomatic area of Pakistan’s national capital, the UN headquarters and the headquarters of Pakistan’s navy and air force.

Senior Superintendent of Police Tahir Alam said a suicide bomber blew himself up when personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC), a paramilitary security force, were having dinner at a check post in the Jinnah Super Market.

Senior police official Bin Yamin said the bomber sneaked into the compound under cover of dark and detonated his explosives inside a large tent occupied by the FC personnel.

Officials suspect the suicide bomber’s target may have been the barracks of the VIP and Diplomatic Protection Department near the Jinnah Super Market.

Reports say the torn body parts of the suicide bomber have been found. One person has been arrested in connection with the blast. "We have arrested a suspect and interrogation is on," said Alam.

FC personnel opened fired after the blast, causing panic in the market. Television footage showed rescuers carrying one police officer and another man toward waiting ambulances.

Violence in Pakistan has surged in recent months amid a wave of attacks blamed on Islamist militants. As many as 17 people died and 30 were injured when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vehicle near a military convoy in Miranshah city of North Waziristan early on Saturday.

The attack in Islamabad comes five days after the March 30 terror assault on the Manawan police academy on Lahore's outskirts when heavily armed militants held over 400 trainees hostage for over eight hours before Pakistani security forces recaptured the complex.

At least 18 people, including two civilians, eight policemen and eight militants, were killed and 95 injured in the terror attack owned up by Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.

(With inputs from PTI, IANS and AP.)