The capital police arrested 232 suspects over Saturday’s bombing of an Italian restaurant in Islamabad, a senior security official said on Sunday. “Those who were arrested include students of various madrassas of Islamabad,” he said. He said police was questioning them. Another senior police official said a team consisting of police, Crime Investigation Agency and Federal Investigation Agency had been formed to probe into the bombing.
4 kg IED: Forensic experts had collected evidence from the crime scene, he said, and investigators believed an improvised explosive device (IED) of around 4 kilogrammes (kg) was used in the attack. The restaurant staff is also being questioned. Kohsar police has registered a report against “unidentified terrorists”.
Foreign diplomats: Foreign diplomats shaken by Saturday’s bombing expressed concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan. “It was the first calculated effort to target westerners in Pakistan since the start of [the] war on terror and it sent a shockwave among diplomats and westerns working in Pakistan,” a diplomat said, seeking anonymity because they aren’t allowed to comment on the internal situation of a country. Diplomats said it was a serious security lapse that could have been avoided.
US embassy: A notice posted to the US Embassy’s website late on Saturday urged Americans “to avoid areas where Westerners are known to congregate and to maintain a low profile.” It said US citizens “should stay alert, be aware of their surroundings, reduce travel to a minimum, and act self-defensively at all times”.
The Turkish Embassy said in a statement on Sunday that it supported Pakistan in its fight against terrorism. “Turkey follows the terror attacks, which target the peace and stability of the Pakistani people with grief and great concern,” it said.