Triple blasts hit northwest Pakistan capital near U.S. consulate

Islamabad, Pakistan (News Terupdate) - Three explosions went off in rapid succession near the U.S. consulate in the Pakistani city of Peshawar Monday.

The blasts in the capital of the North West Frontier Province came hours after a suicide attack killed 20 people and wounded 50 others in another part of the province.

Peshawar is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the country's capital, Islamabad.

The three explosions went off within a span of 15 minutes in the area of Saddar and Hayatabad Avenue, near the American consulate and the Peshawar headquarters of Pakistan's intelligence agency. The latter was the target of a deadly car bomb attack in November.

The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad would only confirm that an attack had taken place, adding it would offer more in a statement later.

Following the triple blasts, two people were taken to the Lady Reading Hospital -- one of whom later died, said Dr. Abdul Hamid Afridi. Authorities expect the casualty count to rise.

The North West Frontier Province is rife with Islamic extremists and has been the site of recent clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants.

Monday's suicide attack took place at a rally for the province's ruling Awami National Party in the lower Dir district, said lawmaker Mehmood Zeb Khan.

Hundreds of the participants had gathered for a rally to change the name of the province to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The bomber walked into the government building where the meeting was going on and blew himself up, said provincial spokesman Mian Iftikhar Hussain.

The province was given its current name during the British colonial rule. The party, which heads a coalition government in the province, wants the area's name to reflect its majority Pashtun population.

A bill to amend the constitution in support of the name change was expected to be introduced in parliament on Monday.

Source : CNN

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