5 April 2010 Peshawar bombings
Encyclopedia
On April 5, 2010, two bombings in Pakistan
killed up to 50 people and injured a 100 more. In the first attack the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar
was attacked by militants. The coordinated attack involved a vehicle suicide bomb and attackers who tried to enter the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar
by using grenades and weapons fire. Three explosions went off within a span of 15 minutes in the area of Saddar
and Hayatabad Avenue, near the American consulate and the Peshawar headquarters of Pakistan's intelligence agency. Several militants came in two vehicles. The first vehicle exploded near a security checkpoint, and gunmen in the second car opened fire.
A Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
spokesman claimed responsibility for the assault on the consulate. In Timergara
, Lower Dir district an Awami National Party
rally came under attack. Pakistani Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq
said "Americans are our enemies. We carried out the attack on their consulate in Peshawar. We plan more such attacks."
Hours earlier 44 people died in a suicide attack at a rally in the north-western town of Timergara
, Lower Dir District
, during a meeting of the Awami National Party
(ANP), the ruling coalition in North West Frontier Province. Zahid Khan, an Awami National Party spokesperson, said his party were celebrating plans to change the name of the North West Frontier Province when a suspected suicide bomber detonated his explosives. An official of the ruling ANP party, Hashim Khan Babar, told the media the attacks appeared to be in response to a major security operation which was launched in the Orakzai tribal region near Peshawar last week.
.
A BBC
analyst said the Pakistani Taliban were apparently aiming for a feat to match the one last December
in Khost, Afghanistan, in which several American CIA officials were killed.
embassy in Pakistan released a statement condemning the attack and saying that it reflected the "terrorists' desperation". Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesmen, added: "We strongly condemn the violence and the actions. And I would point out that ... extremists in Pakistan have succeeded in killing Pakistanis, which I think hardens the view that has led to gains that have been made over the course of the year against extremism by native Pakistanis."
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
killed up to 50 people and injured a 100 more. In the first attack the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
was attacked by militants. The coordinated attack involved a vehicle suicide bomb and attackers who tried to enter the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
by using grenades and weapons fire. Three explosions went off within a span of 15 minutes in the area of Saddar
Saddar
Saddar is one of the neighbourhoods of Saddar Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Saddar is the central business district of Karachi. 'Saddar' generally means 'centre' and also 'head' ....
and Hayatabad Avenue, near the American consulate and the Peshawar headquarters of Pakistan's intelligence agency. Several militants came in two vehicles. The first vehicle exploded near a security checkpoint, and gunmen in the second car opened fire.
A Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , alternatively referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is an umbrella organization of various Islamist militant groups based in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Pakistan. Most, but not all, Pakistani Taliban groups coalesce under the TTP...
spokesman claimed responsibility for the assault on the consulate. In Timergara
Timergara
Timergara is a town in Lower Dir District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Timergara is the district headquarters of Lower Dir. It lies at an altitude of ....
, Lower Dir district an Awami National Party
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
rally came under attack. Pakistani Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq
Azam Tariq (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan)
Azam Tariq is a spokesperson for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan . The TTP chose him as its spokesman after his predecessor, Maulvi Umar, was detained by Pakistani authorities in August 2009....
said "Americans are our enemies. We carried out the attack on their consulate in Peshawar. We plan more such attacks."
Preceding events
A suicide attack at a political rally in Timergarah preceded the Peshawar Bombings. The suicide attacker detonated a bomb near the stage built for the organized celebrations. At least 46 people have died.Attacks
The American consulate attack killed 6 people including 2 security service personnel. However, no Americans were hurt in the attack. The perpetrators were armed with guns and grenades and two car bombs. The security barrier was damaged, while shells from rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades were seen in the vicinity. Police said one of the car bombs exploded at a checkpoint 50 metres from the consulate, while the other 100 kg bomb went off close to the consulate gate. At least three blasts were reported before a firefight between security forces and the attackers followed. According to Pakistan police official Ghulam Hussain, "The target was certainly the American consulate but they didn't succeed in getting there...one of the suicide bombers blew himself up close to the gate. Police guarding the US consulate started retaliatory fire. More blasts took place. We have recovered unexploded material from four different points". The US Consulate General said two Pakistani security guards employed by the Consulate General were among those killed in the attack.Hours earlier 44 people died in a suicide attack at a rally in the north-western town of Timergara
Timergara
Timergara is a town in Lower Dir District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Timergara is the district headquarters of Lower Dir. It lies at an altitude of ....
, Lower Dir District
Lower Dir District
Lower Dir is one the 24 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The district was formed in 1996, when the district of Dir was divided into Upper Dir and Lower Dir.- Administration :...
, during a meeting of the Awami National Party
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
(ANP), the ruling coalition in North West Frontier Province. Zahid Khan, an Awami National Party spokesperson, said his party were celebrating plans to change the name of the North West Frontier Province when a suspected suicide bomber detonated his explosives. An official of the ruling ANP party, Hashim Khan Babar, told the media the attacks appeared to be in response to a major security operation which was launched in the Orakzai tribal region near Peshawar last week.
Perpetrators
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attacks in a telephone release by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Azam Tariq, with the statement “We accept the attacks on the American consulate. This is revenge for drone attacks. We have already told you that we have 2,800 to 3,000 fedayeen (suicide bombers). We will carry out more such attacks. We will target any place where there are Americans” The attack was revenge for Drone attacks in PakistanDrone attacks in Pakistan
The United States government, led by the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division, has made a series of attacks on targets in northwest Pakistan since 2004 using drones . These attacks are part of the US' War on Terrorism campaign, seeking to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants...
.
A BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
analyst said the Pakistani Taliban were apparently aiming for a feat to match the one last December
Camp Chapman attack
The Camp Chapman attack was a suicide attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman, a key facility of the Central Intelligence Agency in Afghanistan, on December 30, 2009. The base is located near the eastern Afghan city of Khost, in a stronghold of the Taliban movement...
in Khost, Afghanistan, in which several American CIA officials were killed.
Repercussions
An analyst in the capital said that after the government war on the Taliban the militants spread into more settled areas. He added that "The American consulate is one of the most well guarded places in Peshawar. It [the attack] was well planned and they very confidently hit their target." Al Jazeera's correspondent also noted that "Although they have been driven out of their strongholds in key areas, there is a feeling that a substantial number of those people have now infiltrated into the settled areas. There is trouble in the southern parts of the Punjab - so you do see some sort of regrouping attempt and a fear that there maybe an escalation of this sort of violence."Reactions
The United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
embassy in Pakistan released a statement condemning the attack and saying that it reflected the "terrorists' desperation". Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesmen, added: "We strongly condemn the violence and the actions. And I would point out that ... extremists in Pakistan have succeeded in killing Pakistanis, which I think hardens the view that has led to gains that have been made over the course of the year against extremism by native Pakistanis."
See also
- List of terrorist incidents in Pakistan since 2001
- 2002 US consulate bombing in Karachi
External links
- Pictures of the attack from BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
- Video of the attack from GEO NewsGEO NewsGeo News is a Karachi-based Pakistani news channel, fully owned and operated by Jang Group. The channel started its broadcasting in November 2005 and has millions of Urdu-language viewers around the world.- Popular Shows :...
(via BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
)