PESHAWAR, Pakistan – A suicide car bomber rammed into a U.S. government vehicle in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Monday, killing two Pakistanis and wounding more than a dozen people — including two Americans — in one of the worst attacks against the United States in Pakistan in recent years, officials said.

The bombing was a vivid reminder of the danger of operating in Pakistan, especially in the northwest where Taliban and al-Qaida militants are strongest. The United States has persisted because its work in Pakistan is seen as key to countering militants who threaten American interests in neighboring Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Insurgents have carried out scores of bombings in Peshawar in recent years, but attacks against American targets have been relatively rare because of extensive security measures by the U.S. government — ones that diplomats sometimes complain limit their effectiveness and ability to move around.

The United States said it would review its security procedures following Monday’s attack, which was condemned by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“We pray for the safe recovery of both American and Pakistani victims, and once again we deplore the cowardly act of suicide bombing and terrorism that has affected so many around the world,” Clinton said during a visit to Indonesia.

The armored SUV from the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar was attacked as it traveled through a heavily guarded area of the city that hosts various international organizations, including the United Nations. It was unclear how the bomber penetrated the area and knew which vehicle to attack.

The car driven by the bomber was packed with 240 pounds of explosives, police said. The blast ripped apart the SUV — tossing its engine at least 20 feet away — and started a raging fire. Rescue workers and residents rushed to put out the fire and pull away the dead and wounded. All that was left of the SUV was a charred mass of twisted metal with a red diplomatic license plate.

The SUV’s driver, Atif Nawaz, said the blast knocked him out.

“When I came to my senses, I jumped out of my car and screamed, ‘What happened?’” said Nawaz, whose face and hands were badly burned.

The attack killed two Pakistanis and wounded 19 other people, including police who were protecting the Americans, said senior police officer Javed Khan.

Two Americans and two Pakistanis working at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar were among the wounded, said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, who called the attack a “heinous act.”

 

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