A huge explosion has killed five people and injured at least 25 at a luxury hotel in the north-west Pakistani city of Peshawar, officials say.
A huge explosion has killed five people and injured at least 25 at a luxury hotel in the north-west Pakistani city of Peshawar, officials say.
The blast struck the five-star Pearl Continental, creating a scene of chaos outside as police rushed to and fro and Pakistani men stood looking stunned.
Reports suggest gunmen stormed the premises of the five-star Pearl Continental just before the blast, and scenes of chaos are reported outside.
An Associated Press reporter said he had seen several injured foreigners.
Journalists at the scene say they have seen several injured foreigners.
A series of bombs have hit cities including Peshawar since a government crackdown on Taliban militants.
A series of bombs have hit cities including Peshawar since a government crackdown on Taliban militants.
Peshawar is capital of Pakistan's troubled North West Frontier Province, close to the unrest in the Swat valley.
A policeman told me they had opened fire on two vehicles Fazle Mubeen, eyewitness
Pearl Continental's website describes its hotel in Peshawar as "overlooking the famous Peshawar golf course and the historic Bala Hisar Fort".
Peshawar, the main city in the country's north-west, is not far from the Swat valley, where the government offensive has been concentrated.
'Suicide attack'
This was the most prominent hotel in Peshawar, the BBC's Chris Morris reports.
TV reports said the hotel had been subjected to a gun and bomb attack.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack but it hardly comes as a surprise, our correspondent says.
Investigators are trying to establish whether a device was planted or it was a suicide attack.
'Two vehicles'
One eyewitness, Fazle Mubeen, said two vehicles had been involved in the incident.
"A policeman told me they had opened fire on two vehicles," he said.
"Two men were killed in the first car. Then the second vehicle entered the premises and the blast happened."
Police official Liaqat Ali said an unknown number of gunmen had run into the hotel just before "a big bomb went off", AP reports
Police official Liaqat Ali said an unknown number of gunmen had run into the hotel just before "a big bomb went off", AP reports
The official added that he believed it had been a suicide attack.
The official added that he believed it had been a suicide attack.
Government forces launched an offensive earlier this year to crush a Taliban-led uprising in the Swat valley aimed at enforcing Sharia law.
Government forces launched an offensive earlier this year to crush a Taliban-led uprising in the Swat valley aimed at enforcing Sharia law.
Taliban leaders have promised to launch revenge attacks on major Pakistani cities and claimed a bombing in Lahore last month which left at least 28 people dead.
Taliban leaders have promised to launch revenge attacks on major Pakistani cities and claimed a bombing in Lahore last month which left at least 28 people dead.
Pearl Continental's website describes its hotel in Peshawar as "overlooking the famous Peshawar golf course and the historic Bala Hisar Fort".
A devastating suicide bomb attack on the Islamabad Marriott hotel last September killed at least 53 people and injured more than 266.
Fidayeen-e-Islam, a little-known Pakistani militant group, told the BBC it had carried out the attack with the aim of stopping US interference in Pakistan.
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