Suicide attack on Pakistan hotel

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The gunmen stormed past guards at the Pearl Continental Hotel in the north-west city of Peshawar and fired a barrage of shots before setting off a huge blast.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack

Witnesses described three men riding in a truck approaching the main gate of the hotel and opening fire at security guards.

Television footage showed part of the hotel had been demolished in the blast, reduced to concrete rubble and twisted steel.

Amjad Jamal, spokesman for the World Food Programme in Pakistan, said more than 25 UN workers were staying at the hotel when the attack happened.

The blast is the latest in a string of attacks in Pakistani cities in recent weeks which officials believe are revenge for a military offensive against Taliban militants in the Swat Valley.

Local television showed a scene of pandemonium outside the hotel, with armed police rushing around and Pakistani men standing by looking stunned. One man held a bloodied rag to his head while several foreigners were seen walking out of the hotel with injuries.

The Pearl Continental, affectionately called the "PC" by Pakistanis, is relatively well-guarded and set far back from the main road, overlooking a golf course and a historic fort. It is just over a mile from the city's airport. Parking in front of the structure is heavily restricted, and to get to the front doors of the building, a car has to undergo security checks and travel around concrete and metal barriers.

The hotel is a favourite place for foreigners and elite Pakistanis to stay and socialise, making it a high-profile target for militants. Last year, a massive bombing at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel killed more than 50 people and wounded dozens, rattling the nation.