US warns its citizens of potential terrorist attack at Islamabad’s Marriott Hotel
The United Kingdom also urged its citizens to avoid visiting the hotel.
The United States embassy on Sunday issued a warning about a possible terrorist attack against its citizens at the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan capital of Islamabad.
The development comes two days after the administration in Islamabad had banned all types of gatherings for two weeks and declared a high alert in the city for 48 hours after a police officer was killed in a suicide bombing.
The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Dawn.
“The US government is aware of information that unknown individuals are possibly plotting to attack Americans at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad sometime during the holidays,” the embassy said in a security alert on Sunday. “Effective immediately, the embassy in Islamabad is prohibiting all American staff from visiting the hotel.”
Further, citing the decision taken by the Islamabad administration, the embassy urged its mission personnel to refrain from non-essential and unofficial travel in the capital throughout the holiday season.
The advisory also urged its citizen to exercise vigilance while attending any events and to avoid locations with large crowds.
Besides the United States, the United Kingdom also urged its citizens to avoid visiting the Marriot Hotel in Islamabad.
“We advise British nationals in Islamabad to exercise additional vigilance and minimise exposure to densely populated and unsecured areas that pose a higher risk,” the advisory from British Embassy in Pakistan read.
After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August last year, Pakistan has recorded 420 terrorist attacks. Of these, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for 141 attacks in the last three months, according to PTI.
In 2008, an attack at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad killed 54 persons and injured more than 250.