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| Fresh suicide blast hits Pakistan | Fresh suicide blast hits Pakistan |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| At least 26 people have been killed in a suspected suicide bombing in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi. | |
| Police told the BBC two bombers on a motorbike blew themselves up on a busy street, near a queue for a bank. More than 40 people were injured. | Police told the BBC two bombers on a motorbike blew themselves up on a busy street, near a queue for a bank. More than 40 people were injured. |
| The blast struck an area where security is controlled by the military, not far from army headquarters. | The blast struck an area where security is controlled by the military, not far from army headquarters. |
| Last week, more than 100 people were killed after a huge car bomb ripped through a busy market in Peshawar. | Last week, more than 100 people were killed after a huge car bomb ripped through a busy market in Peshawar. |
| AT THE SCENE Orla Guerin, BBC News, Rawalpindi | AT THE SCENE Orla Guerin, BBC News, Rawalpindi |
| Local people said the area was absolutely packed with people at the time the explosion took place. One man came rushing to search for his father who had been going to pick up his pension. That man has not yet been found. His son said he was making a direct appeal to the government: Please, save our lives. | Local people said the area was absolutely packed with people at the time the explosion took place. One man came rushing to search for his father who had been going to pick up his pension. That man has not yet been found. His son said he was making a direct appeal to the government: Please, save our lives. |
| Pakistan has been hit by what feels like a relentless wave of attacks. In spite of the fact the army is conducting a massive assault on Taliban territory in South Waziristan, it is clear the militants have retained the capacity to strike. | Pakistan has been hit by what feels like a relentless wave of attacks. In spite of the fact the army is conducting a massive assault on Taliban territory in South Waziristan, it is clear the militants have retained the capacity to strike. |
| There is a real sense here of being under siege, of being vulnerable. There is a great deal of anxiety, and also frustration with the government that the streets cannot be made safer. | There is a real sense here of being under siege, of being vulnerable. There is a great deal of anxiety, and also frustration with the government that the streets cannot be made safer. |
| Similar attacks have killed about 300 people since mid-October when the army launched an operation against Taliban militants in South Waziristan. | Similar attacks have killed about 300 people since mid-October when the army launched an operation against Taliban militants in South Waziristan. |
| The continuing violence in the country led the United Nations to announce on Monday that it was withdrawing international staff from north-west Pakistan. | |
| UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that the decision had been taken "bearing in mind the intense security situation in the region". | UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that the decision had been taken "bearing in mind the intense security situation in the region". |
| Monday's blast took place in a car park behind the four-star Shalimar hotel, next to a branch of the National Bank of Pakistan, outside where customers had been queuing. | Monday's blast took place in a car park behind the four-star Shalimar hotel, next to a branch of the National Bank of Pakistan, outside where customers had been queuing. |
| Police Supt Rana Shahid told BBC Urdu: "Two men arrived in the car park on a motorbike, and blew themselves up. | Police Supt Rana Shahid told BBC Urdu: "Two men arrived in the car park on a motorbike, and blew themselves up. |
| "The men were probably wearing explosive jackets and the bike was definitely packed with material as well. That was why the explosion was so powerful." | "The men were probably wearing explosive jackets and the bike was definitely packed with material as well. That was why the explosion was so powerful." |
| One survivor, Rizwan Mehmood, told BBC Urdu he had come to the bank to pay a traffic fine when the explosion went off. | One survivor, Rizwan Mehmood, told BBC Urdu he had come to the bank to pay a traffic fine when the explosion went off. |
| "Just before the blast I saw a woman with three children in a vehicle in the car park," he said. | "Just before the blast I saw a woman with three children in a vehicle in the car park," he said. |
| "After the blast, I saw the car they were sitting in, and it was completely destroyed." | "After the blast, I saw the car they were sitting in, and it was completely destroyed." |
| Wanted, dead or alive | Wanted, dead or alive |
| Some of the victims were elderly people who had come to the bank to withdraw pensions, officials said. | Some of the victims were elderly people who had come to the bank to withdraw pensions, officials said. |
| In pictures: Rawalpindi bomb Pakistan offers Taliban bounties Bold tactics stun Pakistan Who are the Taliban? | In pictures: Rawalpindi bomb Pakistan offers Taliban bounties Bold tactics stun Pakistan Who are the Taliban? |
| Raja Sher Ali, a marketing manager in a local company, told AFP news agency: "Our building shook as if in an earthquake and when we came out there was smoke everywhere and body parts were thrown into our office." | Raja Sher Ali, a marketing manager in a local company, told AFP news agency: "Our building shook as if in an earthquake and when we came out there was smoke everywhere and body parts were thrown into our office." |
| The blast struck just half a kilometre from Pakistan's army headquarters, where militants carried out a deadly siege last month that claimed nearly two dozen lives. | The blast struck just half a kilometre from Pakistan's army headquarters, where militants carried out a deadly siege last month that claimed nearly two dozen lives. |
| Monday's attack came as Pakistan's government offered rewards totalling $5m (£3m) for information leading to the capture of three Taliban leaders and 15 of their commanders. | Monday's attack came as Pakistan's government offered rewards totalling $5m (£3m) for information leading to the capture of three Taliban leaders and 15 of their commanders. |
| In a front-page advertisement on Pakistan's daily, The News, the largest sum of $600,000 was promised for the capture - dead or alive - of the group's leader Hakimullah Mehsud. | In a front-page advertisement on Pakistan's daily, The News, the largest sum of $600,000 was promised for the capture - dead or alive - of the group's leader Hakimullah Mehsud. |
| It said his Tehrik-e-Taliban group was involved in acts of terrorism that were causing the death of innocent Muslims on a daily basis. | It said his Tehrik-e-Taliban group was involved in acts of terrorism that were causing the death of innocent Muslims on a daily basis. |
| Since launching its South Waziristan offensive on 17 October, the military has captured Kotkai, the birthplace of Hakimullah Mehsud. | Since launching its South Waziristan offensive on 17 October, the military has captured Kotkai, the birthplace of Hakimullah Mehsud. |
| On Sunday the army said it was on the outskirts of Sararogha and Makeen, also strongholds of the Pakistani Taliban leader. | On Sunday the army said it was on the outskirts of Sararogha and Makeen, also strongholds of the Pakistani Taliban leader. |
| MILITANT ATTACKS SINCE 5 OCTOBER 28 Oct - At least 118 killed by a car bomb in a market in Peshawar 23 Oct - At least 22 killed in three attacks in northern Pakistan 20 Oct - Eight die in the twin blasts at a university in Islamabad 16 Oct - Twelve die in a bombing in Peshawar 15 Oct - About 40 die in a series of gun and bomb attacks 12 Oct - Security convoy attacked in Swat valley, 41 die 10 Oct - Militants attack Rawalpindi army HQ - 20 killed 9 Oct - At least 50 die in Peshawar suicide blast 5 Oct - Five killed in suicide bomb at UN Islamabad offices | MILITANT ATTACKS SINCE 5 OCTOBER 28 Oct - At least 118 killed by a car bomb in a market in Peshawar 23 Oct - At least 22 killed in three attacks in northern Pakistan 20 Oct - Eight die in the twin blasts at a university in Islamabad 16 Oct - Twelve die in a bombing in Peshawar 15 Oct - About 40 die in a series of gun and bomb attacks 12 Oct - Security convoy attacked in Swat valley, 41 die 10 Oct - Militants attack Rawalpindi army HQ - 20 killed 9 Oct - At least 50 die in Peshawar suicide blast 5 Oct - Five killed in suicide bomb at UN Islamabad offices |
| Are you in the region? Did you witness the explosion? You can send us your experiences using the form below: | Are you in the region? Did you witness the explosion? You can send us your experiences using the form below: |
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| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |