Saturday, April 4, 2009

At least five policemen are dead after a bombing took place near the Frontier Corps check post in Margala Road, Islamabad, Pakistan. Reports conflict as to whether the attack was a suicide bombing, but Interior Advisor Rehman Malik told SAMAA TV that it was.

Police have cordoned off the area and the press is not being allowed within the zone of the attack.

SSP Tahir Alam told Geo Web TV that the attack took place at 10pm local time as police were taking dinner. Although initial reports stated that gunfire was exchanged, Alam said that security forces only fired into the air to scare off other potential attackers.

The attack comes less than two weeks after a March 23 bombing in Islamabad killed one police officer and injured another. Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud claimed responsibility for that attack; Mehsud also claimed responsibility earlier today for yesterday’s shooting of 13 immigrants in Binghamton, New York, a claim the FBI has rejected.