Pak Taliban claims responsibility for UN building attack

Peshawar, Oct.6 (ANI): The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for Monday's suicide attack on the UN World Food Programme (WFP) building in Islamabad in which five persons were killed and three others sustained grievous injury.

"We accept responsibility for the attack in Islamabad. All these organizations are slaves of the United States," The Dawn quoted Azam Tariq, a self-proclaimed TTP spokesman, as saying.

The United Nations has temporarily closed all of its offices in Pakistan following the suicide attack, which coincided with the arrival of British Home Secretary Alan Johnson and Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth.

Earlier, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, told media persons outside the bombed UN building, that the Taliban might resort to 'rapid attacks' as a last ditch effort to pressurize the government to call off a fresh military operation in South Waziristan.

Malik warned about more such strikes taking place in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad.

The suicide blast has raised questions about the city's security arrangements.

Sources said the attacker had entered the city with over six kilograms of explosives despite the fact that there are over 70 check posts installed on the outskirts of Islamabad to keep a vigil on every movement in and out of the federal capital.

It is worth mentioning here, that barely four days ago, Malik had warned about such terror strike-taking place.

Media reports said the suicide bomber, who was dressed as a Pakistani Army soldier, was allowed to pass through security at the heavily guarded UN building after he showed an immediate need to use the toilet.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also criticized the suicide attack terming it as a 'heinous crime against humanity'.

"This is a heinous crime committed against those who have been working tirelessly to assist the poor and vulnerable on the front lines of hunger and other human suffering in Pakistan," Ki-moon said in Geneva. (ANI)