Breaking: Bomb in Pakistan outside Major Hotel -UPDATE- Pearl Continental Hotel

Breaking: Bomb in Pakistan outside Major Hotel

www.doomdaily.com

Temporary Link on Breaking news... Other sources will be available.

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[edit on 9-6-2009 by komp_uk]

More news to come.

UPDATE1: Reports are massive explosion destroys 5 star hotel in peshawar. Other buildings damaged.

Not seeing any other reports on MSM that give any more details.

Suicide bomber? I surely doubt its a military strike.

I would suspect the Taliban in this one...

Can anyone speak to anyone inside or near the area? Would be great to find out if its a big deal or an exageration.

Thanks




www.doomdaily.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

A possible reason for the Pearl Continental being targeted?

www.csmonitor.com...

A senior State Department official confirmed that the US plan for the consulate in Peshawar involves the purchase of the luxury Pearl Continental hotel. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

The Pearl Contintental is the city's only five-star hotel, set in its own expansive grounds, with a swimming pool. It's owned by Pakistani tycoon Sadruddin Hashwani.

Peshawar is an important station for gathering intelligence on the tribal area that surrounds the city on three sides and is a base for Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The area also will be a focus for expanded US aid programs, and the American mission in Peshawar has already expanded from three US diplomats to several dozen.

Outside of that find, all I have is on Twitter reporting from local news agencies saying the power is out in the area and the current casualty estimate is 30+, but I think we can assume that number will rise

Now it's breaking here

news.sky.com... s=World_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15299735_Explosion_Hits_Pearl_Continental_Hotel_In_Pakistan_City_Of_Peshawar%2C_Say_Police

There have been several casualties from what was described as a massive explosion by police.

More follows....

www.alertnet.org...

SLAMABAD, June 9 (Reuters) - A bomb exploded outside the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan, causing several casualties, police said.

Pakistan has been struck by a wave of bomb attacks since security forces launched an offensive to expel Taliban militants from the northwestern Swat valley and nearby districts. (Reporting by Kamran Haider, writing by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Andrew Dobbie)

UPDATE1: Reports are massive explosion destroys 5 star hotel in Peshawar. Other buildings damaged.

UPDATE2: Pearl Continental Hotel. Several casualties. Initial Video reports show heavy smoke and debris.

UPDATE3: 32 reported injuries.

UPDATE4: government reports 5 dead at least.

UPDATE5: Blast so powerful windows blown out of surrounding area, gunshots being heard in the area. Whole area plunged into darkness - All power is off. 2 vehicles driven towards Hotel, then drove towards the Mosque next to hotel and exploded.

Taken from orignating site.

Witness talking on Sky at the moment....says gunmen ran into the building.....also says death toll will be higher as there are bodies in the hotel....and that the back of the hotel has collapsed.

Lots of foreigners inside apparently.

Lets hope we don't see another Mumbai.

CX.

Here is more from Yahoo news:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Officials says a huge bomb has exploded at a luxury hotel in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least five people and wounding 25 others.
Police official Liaqat Ali says gunmen stormed into the Pearl Continental Hotel in the northwestern city on Tuesday night just before "a big bomb went off."
Sahibzada Anis, a top government official in Peshawar, says at least five people were killed and 25 wounded.
The blast is the latest in a string of attacks in Pakistani cities in recent weeks that officials say are revenge for a military offensive against Taliban militants in the Swat Valley.

More terrorism from the towel-ban.
Does everyone note towel-ban fighters are targeted, yet they "ALWAYS" target innocent civilians.
Just shows the kind of animals Pakistan is dealing with.

guys,

what type of bomb could create this type of explosion of this magnitude?

reply to post by ModernAcademia


It could be 2 bombs as reports saying that 2 vehicles rammed thru into the hotel grounds amid gunfire.

reply to post by komp_uk


I find that completely believable.

Car bombs are a favorite of terrorists like the towel-ban, as is killing innocent civilians.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


Depends on the explosive used, but it's not hard to cause this much damage if you have enough of the stuff.

CX.

news link from CNN:

CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson, who has stayed at the hotel, said it is favored by diplomats and is next door to a police station and near a major army barracks.

Peshawar bomb disposal squad Inspector Hukam Khan confirmed soon after the explosion that a car bomb caused the destruction.

CNN

So we now know that at least one was a car bomb.

Also, take note what is close to it, yet not attacked!!!!!!!!!!

Right next to police station and major army barracks, why were they not attacked???

The count down time is now running form some ponce to accuse Israel and or the US.