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Published 09 Nov, 2013 07:32am

‘Danish embassy suicide attacker was Saudi national’

ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: A suspected terrorist arrested by the capital police a few months back has told investigators that the suicide attacker at the Danish embassy in Islamabad over five years back was a national of Saudi Arabia.

In the car explosion outside the embassy on June 2, 2008, five persons were killed and 27 others injured.

The suspect, Hammad Adil, was arrested from his house at Dakhli Phoolgran in Bhara Kahu along with an explosive-laden car on August 31, 2013.

A team, investigating the suicide attacks at the Danish embassy and Luna Caprese Restaurant at F-6 on March 15, 2008, visited the Adiala Jail to interrogate the arrested man.

The police sources said during the interrogation the accused confessed to his involvement in the attacks and said Abu Gharib, 20, the Saudi national, used an explosive laden white Toyota Altis to hit the embassy.

They said the mastermind of the two attacks was Tanveer Gondal, an operative of Al Qaeda and a native of Malikwal.

Giving the details of the attack on the embassy, Hammad said Gondal met him at the Melody Market in May 2008 and shared his plan to carry out a suicide attack on the embassy with him.

Besides, Gondal also said he would arrange a suicide attacker and an explosive-laden vehicle.

After a week, Gondal again met Hammad at F-6 and later the two carried out a reconnaissance of the Danish embassy.

Four days later, Gondal asked Hammad to reach Japanese Park. When Hammad went there, Gondal along with the Arab national and the explosive-laden car was already there, the sources said.

The Arab national drove them towards the embassy and after dropping them at the F-6 sector moved towards the target.

After about half an hour, the vehicle exploded outside the embassy.

About the attack at Luna Caprese, the suspected terrorist told the investigators that in early March Gondal met him at Melody Market and shared his plan to target the restaurant.

After a few days, Gondal again met him and both went to the restaurant in a car. After reaching outside the restaurant, Gondal disembarked from the car and threw the explosive into the restaurant.

A Turkish nurse and four other persons were reportedly injured in the attack.

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