The first attack occurred at a political rally of the Awami National Party in the city of Timergarh. About 40 people died according to various media reports from Pakistan. The second attack targeted the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, where at least two people died.
The State Department released a statement condemning the attacks. According to a department statement, at least two Pakistani security guards employed by the consulate general were killed in the attack and a number of others were seriously wounded.
The coordinated attacks involved a vehicle suicide bomb and terrorists attempting to enter the building using grenades and weapons fire.
“This attack, and the one earlier today in Lower Dir which killed and wounded many others, reflects the terrorists’ desperation as they are rejected by people throughout Pakistan,” read the official statement. “The U.S. is grateful for the support of Pakistan’s security forces in Peshawar, who responded quickly to this attack in support of the U.S. Consulate.”
The Taliban took responsibility for the attack on the U.S. mission in Peshawar. In a telephone call from an undisclosed place, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq told Reuters News Agency that they carried out the attack on the embassy since Americans are the enemies of the Taliban and that they plan more such attacks.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement on Monday that she is “outraged and deeply saddened by the assault on our consulate in Peshawar.”
Clinton said that attacks on diplomatic missions damage international cooperation. Clinton added that the United States is doing its utmost to ensure the safety of its employees, both American and Pakistani, and that U.S. authorities are working closely with Pakistani authorities to bring the attackers to justice.
“The assault this morning is part of a wave of violence perpetrated by brutal extremists who seek to undermine Pakistan’s democracy and sow fear and discord. The Pakistani people have suffered grievous losses, but they are standing firm in the face of this intimidation—and the United States stands with them,” said Clinton in the statement.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, also condemned the attacks. In an official statement published by the Pakistani government Gilani said that such incidents would not deter the government’s resolve to fight terrorism. The prime minister ordered an inquiry into the incident and said he ordered the best possible treatment for the injured.
In the past few years, Pakistan’s government and military have been fighting local insurgents, mainly in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. The lack of sovereignty in those areas allowed a spillover of the Afghan conflict into Pakistan.
