Pakistan on high alert after Islamabad suicide blast

PAKISTAN: Police in Pakistan's capital Islamabad were on high alert Sunday after a deadly suicide blast, as the prime minister insisted a spike in attacks would not deter an anti-Taliban offensive.

Two policemen were killed late Saturday when a suicide bomber walked up to a police emergency helpline centre in an Islamabad residential district where many government officials live and detonated explosives strapped to his body.

The nighttime assault came after a suicide blast killed 38 people during Friday prayers at a mosque in Upper Dir, near three northwest districts hit by a six-week military offensive against Taliban fighters.

"Islamabad police are on high alert. We have taken tough security measures after the bombing on Saturday," a senior police official told AFP, asking not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Islamabad, Sunday, AFP