Four held over deadly hotel blast in Pakistan

Four men have been arrested over last month's suicide attack on the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital.

The four were suspected of "indirect involvement" in the massive blast at the hotel in Islamabad, said the city's police chief, Ahmad Latif. They are the first known arrests in relation to the bombing. The attack on 20 September killed 54 people and was a reminder of the growing threat posed by Islamist militants in Pakistan. Mr Latif said the men were arrested in different parts of Punjab province, but gave no more details. They were brought before an anti-terrorism court where a judge gave police permission to question them for a week. Militants in Pakistan have launched more than 90 suicide attacks on civilian, military and Western targets since July last year which have killed nearly 1,200 people. Authorities have said they suspect terrorists based in the tribal regions close to Pakistan's border with Afghanistan of carrying out the Marriott blast.