·The blast occurred in parking of a hotel, located near the Pakistan's army headquarters.
·No group claimed responsibility for the blast.
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 2 -- A bomb blast killed 20 people in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi near the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Monday, police chief said.
Pakistani policemen secure the site at a hotel where a sucide bomber killed 20 people in Rawalpindi November 2, 2009.
City Police Chief Rao Muhammad Iqbal said that 20 people were killed and 22 others were injured the bomb blast.
Iqbal told reporters at the attack site that the blast occurred in parking of a hotel, located near the Pakistan's army headquarters.
Several shopping centers, hotels and banks are located in the area, witnesses said.
No group claimed responsibility for the blast but the government blames militants for such attacks.
The bomb detonated when the people busy morning shopping and a large number of people were present in a bank to draw salaries, a witness said.
Troops from the nearby army's General Headquarters and police cordoned off the main road and also barred TV cameramen and journalists to the blast site.
The blast also caused damages to buildings and vehicles.
The police chief said that preliminary investigation suggests that the bomb detonated in the parking of Hotel Shalimar.
District Coordination Officer Imdadullah Bosal said that the blast seems to be a suicide attack.
According to media sources, all the schools across Rawalpindi have been closed after the blast on Monday and school children are being escorted by security officials to home.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilnai condemned the blast and said such attacks will not deter the government from campaign against the militants.
(Xinhua)
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