March 4, 2006	Saturday	Safar 3, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

KARACHI, March 3: Law-enforcement personnel investigating Thursday’s bombing in Karachi are focusing on identification of the suicide bomber whose ‘blurred’ face was captured by a surveillance camera installed at the US consulate.

The investigators are combing the site of the blast for a cellphone sim they believed had been used by the suicide bomber before he rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the car of the diplomat who was killed.

The officials suspect involvement of a group which has not been heard of previously.

A police official told Dawn that the US consulate-general had asked Washington to provide the surveillance camera footage of the last one month. Each footage is sent to Washington for record.

Meanwhile, the footage produced by cameras installed by the Marriott and the US consulate is being synchronised.

Officials said that the FBI personnel, who arrived here from Islamabad and Kabul late on Thursday, had held several meetings with local investigators. Another FBI team is expected to reach Karachi from the United States by Saturday evening.

A senior official said there was little possibility of Jundullah’s involvement in the attack.

“The bombing has been carried out in a most organised and sophisticated manner with minimum loss to common people. They hit their target with precision,” said an investigator, adding that Jundullah activists did not have such capability.

Moreover, he pointed out, the Jundullah group did not believe in suicide bombings.

The US State Department has identified the deceased diplomat as David Foy, a facilities maintenance officer and father of four girls. He came to Pakistan last year. His body was handed over to the US consulate on Friday afternoon.

PRIZE MONEY: Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui announced a Rs5 million reward for any concrete evidence which could lead to the arrest of the culprits involved in the blast, adds PPI.

The name of the person providing such information would be kept secret.

ONLINE ADDS: Interior ministry sources said that the suicide bomber had been identified with the help of the footage close circuit cameras installed at the US consulate.

The footage showed the attacker was a bearded young man, who rammed his car into another car causing the huge explosion.

The planning for the attack was done about a month ago and the attacker was being given instructions through a mobile phone.