The Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing occurred on 20 September 2008, when a dump truck filled with explosives detonated in front of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, the capital of the Pakistan. The incident resulted in deaths of at least 54 people and injuries to least 266 more. A 60 ft (20 m) wide, 20 ft (6 m) deep crater was formed outside the hotel as a result of the impact of the blast.[1] The majority of the casualties were Pakistani nationals but at least five foreigners were killed and fifteen others reportedly injured. The attack occurred hours after President Asif Ali Zardari made his first speech in the Parliament of Pakistan.[2]
The Marriott was a prestigious hotel in Islamabad, located near government buildings and diplomatic missions. It was popular with foreigners and the urban Pakistani population. The hotel had also previously been targeted be militants. In 2007, a suicide bomber killed himself and another person in an attack at the hotel.[3] The Islamabad Marriott reopened on December 28.[4]
- ^ "More Bodies Pulled From Hotel Rubble in Pakistan". New York Times. 21 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
- ^ Rupert, James (2008-09-20). "Islamabad Marriott Hotel Blast Leaves 40 People Dead". Bloomberg.
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