Three killed in blast at UN agency's office in Islamabad

At least three persons — a foreigner and two women — were killed and several others injured today in an explosion at the office of a UN agency in a high-security area in Islamabad, police said.

The blast occurred inside the World Food Programme (WFP) office in Sector F-8. deputy inspector general of police Bin Yamin told reporters that two Pakistani women employees of the WFP were killed while other police officials said the body of a foreigner had been taken to a nearby hospital.

Bin Yamin said the explosion was apparently caused by a planted device as no body parts of a suicide bomber had been found.

Police officials said five or six more persons were injured in the explosion.

UN officials and people in nearby buildings were asked to evacuate the area after the blast, which occurred at 12.15 pm local time. About 80 people worked in the WFP office.

Smoke could be seen billowing out of the building after the blast.

The WFP office, which was being guarded by a private security agency, and other UN organisations in Islamabad have been on high alert following intelligence reports that they could be targeted by militants. Reports said the WFP office had received threats on three occasions but this could not be independently confirmed.  Bin Yamin said about seven to 8kg of explosives were used in the attack. It was not known how the attackers had entered the WFP office to plant the bomb as the building is ringed by a high wall.

The WFP office is located a short distance from the Zardari House, the private residence where the ruling PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari lived before becoming President, offices of the police force and the district administration and the district courts.