2 Americans die as bomb hits US consulate car in Pakistan

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Sept 3, IRNA -- A bomb hit an American consulate car in the Pakistani northwestern city of Peshawar and killed two Americans and three other people on Monday, a provincial minister said.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Information Minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, of which Peshawar is the capital, confirmed that two Americans were among the five people killed in the blast.

The US embassy also confirmed that two foreigners were injured in the blast who were shifted to a US facility in Peshawar immediately after the attack.

Federal Minister for Communications Arbab Alamgir Khan also confirmed that two foreign nationals had been injured in the attack.

The passport of a US national was also found from the site of the explosion, local TV channels reported.

Section of the Pakistani media reported that the attack was suicide. Reports said an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into the US consulate’s car.

The bomb-proof consulate vehicle was destroyed in the blast, whereas, several other vehicles and five to six nearby buildings were also damaged.

Peshawar Police Chief, Imtiaz Altaf, confirmed that 110 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack.

Sources at the Khyber Teaching Hospital confirmed that two dead bodies had been received and 19 injured people had been brought in for treatment after the blast.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Taliban militants are blamed for attacks on Westerners in Pakistan.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1026909