US Embassy Issues Security Alert, Warns Officials Against Visiting Islamabad’s Hotel

ISLAMABAD:
In its security alert, the embassy said that the US government has the information that “unknown individuals are possibly plotting to attack Americans at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad sometime during the holidays,”.

The US Embassy of Islamabad issued a security alert on Sunday, warning its officials of a possible attack on the US citizens in the Pakistan capital’s top hotel amid the city already being on high alert after the suicide bombing that took place earlier in the week.

In its security alert, the embassy said that the US government has the information that “unknown individuals are possibly plotting to attack Americans at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad sometime during the holidays,”.

In the advisory, the embassy banned its American staff from visiting the top-class hotel in Islamabad during the holidays.

All official personnel were also appealed to by the US mission from avoiding any non-essential travel to Islamabad during the holiday season.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) also issued a travel advisory barring its officials from travelling to districts of Baujar, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, North Waziristan and South Waziristan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province and the districts of Charsadda, Kohat, Tank, Bannu, Lakki, Dera Ismail Khan, Swat, Buner and Lower Dir in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the city and district of Peshawar.

The advisory also stops officials from travelling on the N45 road, from the north of the Mardan ring road to the edge of the district of Chitral, Balochistan province excluding the southern coast of Balochistan (see below), the section of the N35 (or Karakoram Highway) between the Mansehra ring road and the N15/N35 Chilas interchange and within 10 miles of the Line of Control

The directive was issued by the embassy two days after Islamabad was rocked by a suicide bombing which took place in a residential area, killing one police officer and injuring ten others.

The explosion took place after a taxi was stopped by the police for inspection during a police patrol. As per the police, the explosives were detonated by a rear-seat passenger, who was carrying them, leading to the blast in the vehicle.

The attack was claimed by militants of the Pakistani Taliban, who work separately but are allied with the rulers of Afghanistan.

Since then, the city has been placed on high alert by the administration of Islamabad, and processions and public gatherings have been banned, even though campaigns for local elections are ongoing. Police are continuously patrolling the city and snap checkpoints have been set up for inspecting vehicles across the capital.