From correspondents in Brussels, Belgium, 11:00 PM IST

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Sunday strongly condemned the terrorist bombing in Pakistani capital Islamabad that killed 53 people Saturday.

'This grotesque attack, which has caused huge loss of life and great suffering, has no justification whatsoever,' the head of the 26-member military alliance said in a statement.

A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden truck into the Marriott Hotel, engulfing the building in flames. A large portion of the 290-room five-star hotel was destroyed in the attack, which also left at least 266 injured.

According to EuAsiaNews, Scheffer said NATO remains committed to working with Pakistan, 'including the new government, to combat the shared threat of violent extremism'.

Afghanistan, where NATO has nearly 60,000 troops under its ISAF operation, is a key focus of cooperation between NATO and Pakistan.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)