AFP PHOTO / A MAJEED
Four employees of the United States Consulate were injured in the Pakistani town of Peshawar, following a bomb attack on their vehicle on Monday.
“We can confirm that a vehicle belonging to the US Consulate in Peshawar was hit in an apparent terrorist attack,” said US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland via a statement issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad.
“Two US personnel and two Pakistani staff of the consulate were injured and are receiving medical treatment. No US Consulate personnel were killed, but we are seeking further information about other victims of this heinous act. We stand ready to work with Pakistani authorities on a full investigation so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.”
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban has carried out many recent attacks across Pakistan, but its role in Monday’s attack is underdetermined.
The US Embassy in Islamabad, who contacted the families of the two Americans and two Pakistanis injured, could not comment on the condition of the victims, who were all in the car when it was attacked.
A travel warning to Pakistan was issued by the State Department on 2 February of this year and replaced with a newer one on 27 August. The warning blames Al-Qaeda, Taliban elements, and “indigenous militant sectarian groups,” for attacks carried out inside Pakistan on US government workers and Pakistanis alike.
In May 2011 a consulate vehicle was attacked in Peshawar, killing one and injuring 12.
While much of Pakistan’s northern border region with Afghanistan is unstable and home to many of the country’s tribal areas, Peshawar remains a central government stronghold.
