A car bomb exploded outside the Danish Embassy in Islamabad on Monday, killing six people and wounding dozens weeks after al-Qaida issued threats against Denmark over the reprinting of a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.

The blast is likely to lead to Western pressure on Pakistan's new government to roll back its policy of trying to strike deals with militant groups instead of using military force.

The bombing was the worst anti-Danish attack since the Muhammad cartoons first appeared nearly three years ago. At least five and possibly all six of the dead were Pakistanis.

Pakistani police stand at the site of a blast outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad June 2, 2008. [Agencies]

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though suspicion quickly fell on al-Qaida. As recently as April, the terror network's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, called for attacks on Danish targets in response to the drawings.

The attacker apparently used a fake diplomatic license plate to get the car near the embassy, according to authorities, who were investigating whether it was a suicide attack. Interior Secretary Kamal Shah said evidence indicated the car was a Toyota Corolla carrying 55 pounds of explosives.