Pakistan foils major attack

2008-06-06 11:02

Islamabad - Pakistani police seized three vehicles packed with nearly 500kg of explosives near Islamabad, just days after a deadly car bomb at the Danish embassy, officials said on Friday.

Four people were also arrested after the massive car bombs were discovered in the army headquarters city of Rawalpindi on Thursday following an anonymous tip-off, senior security officials said.

The two cities were placed on red alert following the discovery of the explosives. Security was already tight following Monday's suicide bombing outside Denmark's embassy, which killed six people.

"Security agencies got a tip-off that some explosives-laden vehicles would enter the twin cities and police tightened security on the road and launched checking of vehicles," a security official told AFP.

"On Thursday they impounded three vehicles each fitted with 100 to 150kg of explosives, four people were also rounded up. The vehicles were meant to cause terrorist attacks in the twin cities," he said.

Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda claimed in purported internet statements on Wednesday to have carried out the attack on the Danish mission in revenge for the publication in Danish newspapers of cartoons insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

The discovery of the bombs will raise fresh concerns over the new Pakistani government's efforts to negotiate with Islamist militants in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

The peace talks have led to a lull in suicide attacks in the country following a wave of such attacks during the previous year which claimed more than 1 000 lives.

- AFP