Afghanistan calls for 'honest struggle' against terrorism

60 dead, 200 wounded in Islamabad blast:

AFGHANISTAN: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday condemned the suicide bombing in neighbouring Pakistan that killed at least 60 people, calling for an "honest struggle" against terrorism.

Around 200 people were wounded in the blast, which destroyed the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistan capital Islamabad on Saturday night. "As long as this evil phenomenon (terrorism) is active in the region, terror, horror and explosions will continue," he said in a statement from the presidential palace.

"The president once again emphasised the need for a serious and honest struggle against terrorism," the statement said. Karzai and Pakistan officials have traded barbs about the handling of militants operating from the rugged mountainous area along the border of the two countries. There has been no claim of responsibility for the latest attack, but investigators in Islamabad have said the bombing was likely carried out by Al-Qaeda.

Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants fled across the border into the Pakistan border areas after the United States invaded Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks in 2001.

In addition to attacks inside Pakistan, the United States says militants are using the area as a base of operations for the increasingly deadly insurgency in Afghanistan.

Kabul, Sunday, AFP