By Prensa Latina,
Islamabad : The Pakistani capital, Islamabad, is still in shock after Saturday deadly bombing of the Marriott Hotel that left 62 people dead and 257 wounded, according to press sources.
Police spokesperson have assured that this is the worst terrorist attack in the history of the country and also indicated that the number of dead, that include foreigners, can increase because of the serious condition of many of the wounded.
The explosion was so powerful that the lobby of the hotel, located about 30.5 meters away from the place the explosive-laden truck was detonated by a suicide bomber, was totally destroyed, while an intense fire destroyed several floors of the building.
Experts from the army inspected the place today because it could have suffered severe damages to its structure.
The attack took place hours after president, Asif Ali Zardari, gave out his speech to Parliament, not very far from the hotel.
The Presidential residence, the Supreme Court and the offices of Parliament and the Prime Minister are located along the Constitution Avenue where is also situated the Marriott.
Sources cited by The News daily, said that the attack could have been targeted in first instance towards the Parliament, where hundreds of local political leaders, militaries, representatives and senators were gathered to listen to Zardari.
They also add that the suicide bombers might have changed at last minute from venue due to the intense security on Constitution Avenue, with two checkpoints.
The News also asks if at the time of the attack a secret operation meeting was being held by US Marines.
The newspaper quotes senator, Mumtaz Alam Gilani, from Pakistan’s Popular Party, and two friends Saijad Chaudhry, a leader from the same organization, and Bashir Nadeem, as witnesses of a “mysterious activity” from US military personnel, last Wednesday night.
Gilani denounced that the Marines unloaded an envoy from the US embassy full of iron boxes that were taken to the third and fourth floor of the hotel.
That movement took place the same night in which admiral, Mike Mullen, chief of deployed US troops, met with Pakistani leaders and militaries.
The Parliament said that the boxes were not checked and warned the hotel’s security that they were compromising the integrity of the place.