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US suspends Pakistan consular services after Marriott blast

By Xinhua,

Washington : The US has suspended visa services at its consular offices in Pakistan following a massive suicide bomb attack on the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, the State Department said.

“Consular services have been temporarily suspended as of today,” State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood told reporters Thursday.

“We are very concerned about the security situation. We had the attack on the Marriott Hotel about a week ago, and it’s of great concern,” he said.

Despite the suspension of consular services in Pakistan, the United States will continue its emergency services for American citizens in the country, the spokesman said.

The US has its consular offices in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad.

On Sep 20, a massive truck bombing occurred outside the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, killing at least 53 people, including two Americans and Czech ambassador Ivo Zdarek. More than 250 people were also wounded in the attack.