Word is just coming in that the Taliban has launched a suicide bomber attack against the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar. Information is sketchy at this time.
From Stratfor:
One attacker was able to blow up in the U.S. Consulate premises, AAJ TV reported April 5. The front side of the U.S. Consulate has been totally destroyed. Reports indicate that seven or eight security personnel in the consulate are dead. The consulate’s communication system is down.
Intially Stratfor claimed that there were 36 killed. I am unsure if that number is revised or a total including the security guards.
The UK Telegraph has more. They are saying that 15 heavily armed militants in two vehicles set off 3 massive explosions.
Up to 15 militants armed with explosives and driving in two vehicles targeted the heavily guarded US consulate in Peshawar, a city of 2.5 million on the edge of Pakistan's lawless tribal belt, setting off multiple explosions.
"The target was certainly the American consulate but they didn't succeed in getting there," said Pakistani police officer Ghulam Hussain.
"One of the suicide bombers blew himself up close to the gate. Police guarding the US consulate started retaliatory fire. More blasts took place. We have recovered unexploded material from four different points," he said.
Three powerful explosions and bouts of gunfire echoed through the area, where the attacks occurred at a checkpoint about 20 yards from the US consulate where heavy thick smoke spewed into the sky.
Update 1: Videos (h/t UK Telegraph & Hot Air)
Via: Memeorandum
Via: Stratfor
Via: UK Telegraph
Via: Hot Air
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