15 killed in Lahore police training school Attack

LAHORE(Nasrullah Malik): At least 12 persons were killed and dozens were wounded Monday morning in terrorists attack on Police Training Centre in Manawan area of Lahore.

The armed men assaulted Police Training Centre in Manawan area of Lahore on Monday morning killing at least 12 persons and wounding several others.

The contingents of Elite Police have cordoned off the premises.

According to earlier reports the terrorists attacked the police training centre in Lahore in the morning and taken control of the building after grenade attacks. At least four persons were killed in the terrorist attack.

The stand off between the police and militants continued with exchange of heavy fire. The terrorists were holding positions within the police training centre building while the policemen have cordoned off the premises.

The wounded were being transferred to hospitals while some dead bodies and injured were laid near the police training centre.

Heavy contingents of police have cordoned off the centre with the help of the armored carriers.

CCPO Lahore has said that at least 12 terrorists were holding positions inside Manawan police training school building.

According to some media reports at least 15 persons were killed in the shoot out. A police official talking to OneWorld said around 12 to 13 persons were killed in the attack.

Video: Sri Lankan Team Attacked in Lahore

Eight Sri Lankan players wounded in Lahore attack!

LAHORE (Shahid Hashmi/Nasrullah Malik):Unknown gunmen fired over the Sri Lankan cricket team in Liberty area of Lahore, at least five persons were reported killed and five to eight Lankan players were wounded in the incident.

The attackers wearing bulletproof jackets fired over the team van when it was turning towards Gaddafi Stadium from Liberty Chowk of Lahore.

Sri Lankan team manager Brendon Cruppo has said that six Sri Lankan players have been injured in the firing.

Sri Lankan Minister of Sports has confirmed that two players were injured in the attack.

According to officials five to eight Sri Lankan players were wounded in the attack including wicketkeeper batsman Kumara Sangakkara, Samaraweera and Tharanga Pranahitana.

According to the security sources the attackers were in bullet proof jackets.

CCPO Lahore said that 12 masked men were involved in the terror attack. An unknown person had thrown a bag with weapons and ammunition near a shop in the area, witnesses said.

The attackers had lobbed bombs before opening fire, reports said.

A rocket launcher has also been found from the place of the incident.

Federal Minister of Sports Pir Aftab Jeelani has condemned the incident and regretted with Sri Lankan authorities, which sent their team in difficult time of Pakistan cricket.

Selection committee member Salim Jaffar leaving for Sri Lanka to meet the team high ups.

According to reports the injured Sri Lankan players Samaraweera and Tharanga were given first aid at the hospital and they were out of danger.

Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer visited the place of attack and inspected the place.

Talking to the media, Taseer said it was a planned terrorist attack committed by the trained terrorists.

The Lahore second test between Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan has been called off after a gun attack on the touring team bus injuring players, a Sri Lankan cricket board official told foreign news agency.

"We are trying to bring the team back as quickly as possible. The test match has been cancelled," the official said on Tuesday.

Seven Maj. Gen. promoted to rank of Lt.General

RAWALPINDI : Seven Major Generals of Pakistan Army have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General said an ISPR press release here on Monday.

The names are Major General Tahir Mahmood, Infantry, Major General Shahid Iqbal, Infantry, Major General Tanvir Tahir, EME, Major General Zahid Hussain, Artillery, Major General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, Infantry, Major General Mohammad Mustafa Khan, Armoured Corps and Major General Ayaz Saleem Rana, Armoured Corps.

Lieutenantt General Raza Muhammad Corps Commander Bahwalpur has been appointed DG JS at JSHQ. Lieutenant General Muhammad Yousaf has been appointed Corps Commander Bahwalpur. Lt General Ahsan Azhar Hyat, Corps Commander Karachi has been appointed IGT&E at GHQ.

Lt Gen Shahid Iqbal has been appointed Corps Commander Karachi. Lt Gen Muhammad Zaki has been appointed IG Arms at GHQ. Lt Gen Javed Zia has been appointed QMG at GHQ.

Lt Gen Nadeem Taj has been appointed Corps Commander Gujranwala. Lt Gen Mohsin Kamal has been appointed MS at GHQ. Lt General Tahir Mahmud Corps Commander Rawalpindi Lt Gen Muhammad Zahid has been appointed Adjutant General at GHQ.

Lt Gen Ahmed Shujaa Pasha has been appointed as DG ISI Lt Gen Muhammad Mustafa has been appointed CGS at GHQ.

Lt Gen Tanvir Tahir has been appointed at IG Communication and IT at GHQ. Lt Gen Ayyaz Salim Rana has been appointed Chairman HIT.

Pakistan 'kills 1,000 militants'

Pakistani troops have killed 1,000 Islamist militants in a huge offensive in the Bajaur tribal district over the last month, the army says.

Pakistani troops have been battling Taleban fighters near the border

It says that it will regain control of the region from Taleban and al-Qaeda militants within the next three months.

The army says that five top militants were among those killed in the Bajaur operation. The area is one of the most unstable of Pakistan's tribal areas.

There has been no word from militants in relation to the army's claims.

"This is one area that, if you are controlling, can create a much greater effect on the entire region," Maj-Gen Tariq Khan told reporters on a visit to the area arranged by the army.

He estimated that 65% of the militant problem would be eliminated if militants were defeated in Bajaur.

"If they lose here, they've lost almost everything," he added.

"If we do not take any action it will become an independent agency spreading out terror in all directions."

'Al-Qaeda sanctuary'

Maj-Gen Khan said that 27 soldiers had been killed and 111 wounded in the operation, launched last month at the same time as Pakistan's new government was coming under increasing pressure from the US to take action against militants in its border regions.

The army says that many suspected militants have been captured

Correspondents say that there is no way independently to verify the army's claims.

However the BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Pakistan says that troops are barely making progress against militants and thousands of people have been displaced.

Our correspondent says that soldiers in Bajaur are not confronted with guerrilla-type attacks or suicide bombings but a situation of conventional warfare in which the militants continue to hold a large swathe of territory.

Maj-Gen Khan said the dead militant commanders were from Egypt, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Another was described as an Arab while the fifth was a Pakistani commander named only as Abdullah.

Bajaur is long believed to have been the most likely al-Qaeda sanctuary inside the Pakistani border region, and has been the target of several suspected US missile attacks since 2006.

It borders the troubled Afghan province of Kunar, scene of some of the fiercest fighting between Pakistani forces and Islamist militants since Islamabad joined the US-led "war on terror" in 2001.

It was also the scene of a missile strike that is believed narrowly to have missed Osama bin Laden's number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in January 2006.

Shots fired in US-Pakistan clash

The United States military says US and Afghan forces have exchanged gunfire with Pakistani troops across the border with Afghanistan.

US action along the Pakistan border has raised tensions

A senior US military official says a five-minute skirmish broke out after Pakistani soldiers fired warning shots near two US helicopters.

No one was hurt in the incidents and the US maintains its troops did not cross the border from Afghanistan.

Cross-border action by US-led forces has angered Pakistan in recent weeks.

The latest incident took place along the Pakistani border with the eastern Afghan region of Khost, an area which is a hotbed of militant groups.

Forces from the US-led coalition and the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) patrol the frontier, but Pakistan has been angered by reported US operations across the border in pursuit of insurgents.

A BBC correspondent says the border between the two countries is very unclear and in effect is marked by a 3km-4km (2-2.5 mile) stretch of no-man's land.

Escorting troops

Nato said the helicopters - which belong to its Isaf mission - came under fire from a Pakistani checkpoint.

A US Central Command spokesman, Rear Admiral Greg Smith, said Pakistani soldiers at the checkpoint were observed firing on two US OH-58 Kiowa helicopters that had been covering a patrol of Afghan and US troops about a mile (1.6km) inside Afghanistan.

"The ground forces then fired into the hillside nearby that checkpoint, gained their attention, which worked," he said.

"Unfortunately, though, the [Pakistani] unit decided to shoot down a hillside at our ground forces. Our ground forces returned fire."

However, the Pakistani military gave a different account.

In a statement, commanders said troops fired warning shots at the helicopters when they strayed over the Pakistan border.

"When the helicopters passed over our border post and were well within Pakistani territory, our own security forces fired anticipatory warning shots," a statement said.

"On this, the helicopters returned fire and flew back."

In New York, Pakistan's new president gave another version of events when he said that Pakistan forces had fired "flares" to warn the helicopters they were near the border.

Later, in an address to the UN General Assembly, President Asif Ali Zardari referred to the cross-border tension when he said that his country could not allow its territory to "be violated by our friends".

An Isaf spokesman said he believed the incident was a misunderstanding, but he was certain the helicopters had been operating on the Afghan side of the border.

The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan, in Islamabad, says that the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is very unclear.

BORDER TENSIONS 3 Sept: First reported ground assault by US troops in Pakistan - Islamabad responds furiously 15 Sept: Pakistani troops reportedly fire in air to stop US troops crossing in S Waziristan 17 Sept: Top US military chief Adm Mike Mullen visits Pakistan to calm tensions 16 Sept: Pakistan says it was not told of fresh US missile strike 22 Sept: Pakistani troops in fresh firing to deter US incursion into N Waziristan, officials say 25 Sept: Pakistani troops fire warning shots at Nato helicopters on border with Khost The Afghan-Pakistan militant nexus US attacks raise stakes in Pakistan

There is an imaginary border called the Durand line which each side marks differently.

Pakistan says that the area of no-man's land along the border is its territory and Afghanistan makes similar claims.

Tension between Washington and Islamabad has risen since 3 September, when the US conducted a ground assault in Pakistani territory, its first, targeting what it said was a militant target in the tribal region of South Waziristan.

Pakistan reacted angrily to the action, saying 20 innocent villagers had been killed by US troops.

Local officials have said that on two occasions since then Pakistani troops or tribesmen have opened fire to stop US forces crossing the border. The claims were not officially confirmed.

On Wednesday, a drone believed to be operated by the CIA crashed inside Pakistan.

The US and Nato have called on Pakistan to do more to curb militants operating in the border area.

US drone crashes in South Waziristan

A pilotless US drone aircraft crashed in South Waziristan region on Tuesday but it was not clear why it came down, private TV channels reported. US drones have launched a string of missile attacks on militant targets in north-western Pakistan, infuriating the US ally which says the attacks are a violation of Pakistani sovereignty.

Suicide bombers may hit Karachi

Following Marriott Hotel suicide attack on Saturday, the federal government has directed all provincial governments to further beef up their security arrangements, Aaj TV channel on Tuesday reported.

Moreover, the channel said that the Ministry of Interior in a letter written to Sindh government has warned that banned outlets and militants might carry out terrorist activities and suicide attacks in Karachi.

The ministry asked the provincial government to review its security plan and enhance the deployment of Law Enforcement Agencies on and around all important public, private buildings, consulate generals and shopping centres. Meanwhile, the consul generals of United States and France called on Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and discussed with him security steps being taken by the provincial government.

US to honour Pakistan's sovereignty: Bush

US President George W Bush has assured his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, that US would honour Pakistan's sovereignty and pledged continued support for economic and security fields. Both leaders met at Waldorf Astoria Hotel on the sidelines of 63rd UN General Assembly session, where they discussed strengthening of bilateral relations which are now becoming more and more bitter after US attacks on innocent civilian in tribal areas.

Other issues which were discussed at the meeting were Pakistan's role in war against terrorism, Pakistan's intelligence agencies' role, especially that of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in this war, energy issues, Reconstruction Opportunity Zones(ROZs) and Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).

There were reports that US President stressed that Pakistan must reform ISI, and questioned its role in US efforts to eliminate terrorists, which is the agenda of both countries. President Bush expressed profound sense of grief over heavy loss of life in the weekend bombing on Marriott Hotel in Islamabad where US citizens were also killed.

He said that Pakistan is an important ally, and reaffirmed United States' commitment to assist Pakistan's economic development while citing Washington's bipartisan support in this respect.

President Zardari welcomed President Bush's offer of US support for restoration of democracy, and said that he was confident that Pakistan would be able to overcome the problems confronting it. "Democracy is the answer to problems facing the country. We have problems; we have a situation; but we will solve them," Zardari said.

President Bush said: I got to know you a little bit in an interesting way when I met your children at the Olympics, and it reminded me about the great suffering that they and you have been through with the loss of your beloved wife. And, I thank you very much for staying involved in public service to honour her legacy."

He said: "Pakistan is an ally, and I look forward to deepening our relationship. We'll be discussing, of course, how to help spread prosperity. "We want our friends around the world to be making a good living. We want there to be economic prosperity, and we can work together. And, of course, we'll be talking about security, and your words have been very strong about Pakistan's sovereign right and sovereign duty to protect your country, and the United States wants to help."

He said that one of the things he had heard here in his stay in New York was world leaders wondering whether or not the United States had the right plan to deal with this economic crisis, and he assured them that the plan laid out by Secretary Paulson was a robust plan to deal with a serious problem.

"And now they're wondering about our Congress, and I've assured them as well that having spoken to the leaders of the Congress from both political parties, there is the desire to get something done quickly." He said that there was a natural give-and-take when it came to the legislative process.

"There are good ideas that need to be listened to in order to get a good bill out that will address the situation." But, he said, he was confident and that there would be a bipartisan bill, "that the Republicans and Democrats will come together to get this piece of legislation passed, which is necessary to address the financial situation and provide a rescue plan to make sure that there's some stability in the markets".

Asif thanked President Bush, saying: "Pakistan respects your feelings, the American ideals and bringing Pakistan to this whole concept of your promise to the world of bringing democracy to Pakistan." He said: "What democracy is all about: to take difficult decisions and do the right thing for the people of our country, and our two great nations US and Pakistan should come together in this hard time, and we will share the burden and responsibility with the world."

Gates sees threat to US from tribal area

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Tuesday the greatest threat of terrorism against the United States comes from tribal region of Pakistan.

"If you asked me today, after the success we've had against al Qaeda in Iraq, where the greatest threat to the homeland lies, I would tell you it's in western Pakistan," Gates told a congressional panel.

US officials say al Qaeda and Taliban fighters use Pakistan's tribal region as a safe haven to launch attacks inside Afghanistan and plot against the United States. US officials say they believe al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is hiding in that area.

President in New York with heavy assignment of seeking aid

President Asif Ali Zardari arrived here Monday to lead Pakistan's delegation at the 63rd session of United Nations General Assembly. Besides addressing the world top forum.

The President is scheduled to meet leaders from a number of countries including President Bush, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China, President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad of Iran, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, President of France Nicolas Sarkozy, President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, President of Brazil Luiz Ino Lula da Silva Afghan President Hamid Karzai and South Korean Prime Minister.

Arrangement for his meeting with US presidential candidate John McCain is yet to be finalised. Zardari is also expected to talk to Democratic presidential candidate Barrack Obama on phone to discuss the situation in Pakistan's tribal areas and Afghanistan.

Analysts are of the view that it would be very difficult for President Zardari to convince the American Administration that Pakistan Army, especially Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), is fully co-operating with the government to wipe out terrorists from the tribal areas.

The President will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Naveed Qamar, Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Advisor to Prime Minister on National Security Mahmoud Ali Durrani and senior officials. In his address to General Assembly, the President is expected to spell out priorities of his government in security and economic areas.

Soon after his arrival here, the President will meet Deputy Secretary of US Treasury Robert M Kimmitt. In the evening, he will attend the banquet to be hosted by President George Bush in honour of the heads of states and governments attending the UN meeting. He will also have a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

A special conference aimed at evolving a comprehensive plan to provide urgently-needed economic assistance to Pakistan would also take place on September 26 on the sidelines of UN summit of world leaders. The 'Friends of Pakistan' will be hosted by President Asif Ali Zardari and would be attended by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and other representatives of the G-8 countries including France, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada, China, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The conference will assess Pakistan's needs and come up with short-term and long-term strategies to help the country come out of its economic hardships. Analysts are of the view that economic assistance, if any to be committed by the Friends of Pakistan, would be based on Pakistan's commitment to war on terror as they would press for 'do more' policy.

During the visit, the President has interviews lined up with the Washington Post, CNN and the Wall Street Journal. Democratic vice presidential candidate Josehp Biden will also call on President Zardari and discuss US-Pakistan relations. Biden is a key sponsor of a landmark legislation pending before Congress on increasing US assistance for Pakistan to $1.5 billion annually for a period of ten years.

Boost fight on extremism after Islamabad blast: US

The United States will seek to redouble efforts with ally Pakistan to fight extremism in south Asia, a State Department official said Monday after an Islamabad hotel attack killed at least 60 people. "If you look at what happened on Saturday, this is an example of why we, the Pakistanis, the Afghans, need to work and redouble our efforts to counter extremism in this region," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said.

"We'll continue to work with the Pakistanis on trying to deal with the Taliban and al Qaeda threat, not only in the tribal areas, but over in Afghanistan," he told reporters. A suicide bomber rammed a truck packed with explosives into the security gates of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, killing at least 60, including two Americans, the Czech ambassador and a Vietnamese woman. More than 260 people were wounded.

In another indication Monday of the scale of unrest gripping nuclear-armed Pakistan, suspected Taliban gunmen abducted an Afghan diplomat and killed his driver in the north-western city of Peshawar, officials said. A contractor for the US State Department was unaccounted for following the hotel bombing, Wood said, but was unable to provide details as to the missing contractor's nationality.

PM convenes meeting to review law, order situation today

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has summoned a high level meeting on Tuesday to review law and order situation in the country, Aaj TV reported.

According to Aaj TV report, Advisor to prime minister on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik, Secretary Interior Kamal Shah and representatives of other law enforcement agencies would attend the meeting.

To review the security situation, a meeting was also held on Monday in Interior Ministry at Islamabad. Rehman Malik chaired the meeting, wherein the team constituted to probe into Marriott Hotel bombing presented its initial report to him.

According to the initial investigation report, political leadership of the country was target of the bombing. The report further said that a 'Dumper' was snatched from a city of Punjab few days back and investigators are probing this incident in the context of Marriott bombing. The report would also be presented to the Prime Minister on Tuesday, sources said.

Envoy likely in Jamrud area: Rehman

The Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik, said on Monday that the government had received intelligence report regarding that kidnapped Afghan diplomat, which suggested that he was shifted to Jamrud area in Khyber Agency.

Regarding kidnapping of Abdul Khaliq Farahi, Afghanistan's Consul General and ambassador-designate to Pakistan, he said that the Afghan diplomat was kidnapped from Peshawar while he was travelling without informing the government. The government, he said, is committed to provide security to diplomats, but if they moved without informing the concerned authorities, who would be responsible? he added.

He said that gunmen opened fire on the car while he was going from the consulate, in city centre, to his home in Hayatabad area. The consul, Abdul Khaliq Farahi, was due to take over as Afghan ambassador to Islamabad. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, strongly condemning the kidnapping of Afghan Consul General, has directed Rehman to further strengthen security for diplomats and the diplomatic missions.

World Muslim body slams Islamabad attack by 'enemies of peace'

The Saudi-based Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Sunday slammed the deadly bombing of a Pakistan hotel as an attack by the enemies of peace and contrary to Islam.

OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu condemned the attack "in the strongest terms."

He said "despicable terrorist actions completely contradict the praiseworthy precepts of Islam," and called the perpetrators "the enemies of peace whom the international community must fight with all possible means."

Terrorists want to destabilise country, hurt democracy: Gilani

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani terming the Saturday’s deadly suicide attack outside the Marriott hotel as a ‘cowardly’ act of terrorism said Sunday these terrorist and militant elements wanted to destabilise the country, by hurting democratic process and economy.

“It is a cowardly act of terrorism against the innocent people in this holy month of Ramazan. The whole nation condemns and all the democratic forces are in grief on this tragedy”, Gilani told media persons here, as he visited the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to inquire after the health of those injured in the suicide attack.

Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Advisor to PM on Interior, Rehman Malik were also present.

Gilani announced Rs. 300,000 each as compensation for the heirs of those killed in the attack and Rs. 100,000 for every injured.

Prime minister said the government was committed to fight terrorism and extremism and was following a three-pronged strategy to deal with this menace.

He said with only a handful of miscreants and terrorist elements, the people in Pakistan’s tribal areas are generally peace-loving, patriotic and democratic and have always sacrificed for the country’s security and sovereignty.

Gilani said he has directed his Advisor on Interior to submit an initial inquiry report about the suicide attack by Sunday night, which took the lives of innocent people mainly the security staff and the law enforcing personnel.

He said the law enforcing personnel have been the focus and target of the militants for the last few months, as the terrorists wanted to demoralize the law enforcement agencies.

Prime minister in this respect also recalled the recent terrorist attack on policemen near the Lal Masjid, after the peaceful conclusion of a conference there.

Gilani did not agree with a view that there was failure of disaster management after the incident and said after 15 minutes of attack rescue work had started as he alongwith the President and the Chief of Army Staff were monitoring the situation through live telecasts from various television channels.

Prime minister appealed the countrymen to remain vigilant and help the government to identify and apprehend such elements.

To a question about a recent incident of bomb blasts in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said, “we condemn terrorism wherever it occurs.”

Prime minister later visited various wards of the hospital to inquire after the health of those injured in the suicide attach including two foreigners: Boris, a German Engineer and Lotoya, a British citizen.

Gilani directed the hospital authorities to provide best medical treatment to the injured.

After the Saturday’s suicide attack, 38 dead bodies have been shifted to PIMS, with 31 bodies brought on Saturday. Six dead bodies including three foreigners - one American, one Czech and one Vietnamese - were shifted on Sunday. Whereas one injured also expired on Sunday.

Video shows two explosions in Islamabad attack

A video broadcasted on Sunday of the Marriott Hotel bombing, showing that the attacker rammed the gates with his truck and then blew himself up minutes before the main blast.

Top interior ministry official Rehman Malik told a news conference that the driver apparently believed his huge truck, which had 600 kilos (1,300 pounds) of explosives inside, would be able to crash through the security barriers.

But the closed-circuit footage showed that it failed to get through a secondary barrier at the heavily guarded hotel.

The driver apparently could not convince the guards to let down that barrier and so then blew himself up. In shock, the guards are seen hesitating for a few moments before racing to put out the fire from that explosion.

The main explosion happened a few minutes later. There is no footage of that because the blast destroyed the camera, Malik said.

Zardari gives clear overview of foreign policy: Qureshi

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi Saturday said the President Asif Ali Zardari gave a clear overview of foreign policy of Pakistan.

He said the president highlighted clearly that the government will protect the sovereignty of the country and relations with United States and European partners will be built on long-term partnership that is broad-based and mutually beneficial.

He further said, "Our foreign policy will be geared to not only defence of territorial integrity and sovereignty but also promotion of commercial and economic interests."

President, PM condemn bast

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the suicide blast outside Marriott hotel in the federal capital on Saturday evening.

The President and the Prime Minister expressed shock and grief over the loss of innocent lives and said the perpetrators of such heinous crime would be brought to justice.

The authorities concerned have been directed to conduct an inquiry into the incident and submit a report within 12 hours.

Meanwhile Information Minister Sherry Rehman has also strongly condemned the blast and said such cowardly acts cannot deter the government’s commitment to fight terrorism and extremism.

US condemns Islamabad blast: official

The United States on Saturday condemned the massive bombing of a five star hotel that left at least 60 people dead and expressed support for the country's government.

"The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack that took place in Islamabad, Pakistan, today," national security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement.

"This is a reminder of the threat we all face. The United States will stand with Pakistan's democratically elected government as they confront this challenge," said Johndroe, adding that Bush was briefed by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley on the attack.

"President Bush offers his sincere condolences to the families of all those lost in today's vicious attack," the statement said.

The US State Department said earlier it was in contact with the US embassy in Islamabad about the deadly blast and was looking into whether any US nationals were hurt.

In Islamabad, a suicide bomber detonated a truck packed with explosives at the Marriott Hotel Saturday, killing at least 60 people in a brazen attack in the heart of the Islamabad.

Police said 200 people were also wounded in the massive explosion, which ruptured a gas pipeline and triggered a huge blaze that engulfed the heavily-guarded site in flames.

Many victims leapt to their deaths from the upper floors of the hotel to escape the fire, a senior security official told AFP, and there were fears more were buried in the debris.

Officials said they were worried that the hotel, a key meeting place for foreigners, would collapse.