Pakistan blames Taliban for blast

Islamabad: Pakistan has blamed Al Qaida-linked Taliban militants for the bombing at the Marriott Hotel here on Saturday which killed 53 people and injured more than 260.

Footage of the attack showed the carnage could have been far worse, but the attacker failed to get through a secondary barrier when he crashed his explosives-laden truck into the hotel's security gates.

The interior ministry said the truck was packed with 600kg of explosives, and pointed a finger at Taliban militants allied with Al Qaida who are based in the remote areas along the border with Afghanistan.

The dead included two US officials and the Czech ambassador to Pakistan, Interior Ministry head Rehman Malek said.

Some bodies pulled from the debris were burnt beyond recognition. A Danish diplomat was missing after the attack. World leaders condemned the bombing.