Hindustan Times

Explosion at Islamabad airport, no casualties

(AP) (Islamabad, October 20)

A bomb exploded at Islamabad international airport on Saturday sparking a terrorism alert in the Pakistan capital, police said.

The blast went off in a car park near the VIP lounge at the airport about 1:00 pm (0800 GMT) but there were no casualties, police said.

Kaleem Imam, police chief for the city of Rawalpindi, which includes the airport, blamed "terrorism". He said about one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of explosives was involved.

"The bag in which the bomb was hidden was spotted by airport security staff and quickly taken to a cabin in the parking lot where it exploded a few minutes later," the police chief told AFP.

"We have beefed up security at the airport and also at other public places in Islamabad and Rawalpindi," Imam added. "It appears to be an act of terrorism."

"We are searching for a suspect who was seen leaving the bag at the parking lot."

Security has been tightened across Pakistan since US airstrikes on neighbouring Afghanistan began on October 7, with authorities concerned about possible retaliatory action by opponents of the attacks.

Hardline Islamic militants have staged violent rallies across the country to protest against the US strikes and Pakistan's support for the military campaign.

One of the leaders of the opposition movement, hardline Islamic Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party leader Fazlur Rehman, was charged with treason and hundreds of militants have been arrested.

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2001