Mohmand Agency attack
Encyclopedia
The Mohmand Agency attack was a suicide bomb attack on July 9, 2010, in a market in Yakaghund, Mohmand Agency
, in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
of Pakistan
. At least 104 people were killed while more than 120 people were wounded. This was the last of a streak of attacks that was the record most major terrorist attacks (over 40 deaths) in a row in the Pakistan war on terrorism, with least 7 in a row, much more than the previous record of 2 which happened only 2 times; marking an escalating of the War on Terrorism in Pakistan.
and the surrounding area, with the commander of forces in the area claiming that 80 percent of militants had been cleared as of September 2009. The area, which borders Kunar Province
, Afghanistan
, had been the scene of violence prior to the attack as a result of spillover from neighbouring Afghanistan and other areas of Pakistan.
) of tribal elders near the local government headquarters. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
claimed responsibility for the attack. According to a local Taliban spokesman, the meeting was targeted as it was convened to discuss a plan against the Taliban.
The attack was thought to be revenge for an offensive carried out by the Pakistani Army against militants in the tribal area. The blast caused significant damage to the market area, as well as to a local prison, from which several prisoners were able to escape through a wall which was partially destroyed.
, the administrative centre of the tribal areas while the less seriously injured were treated in local hospitals. This was the deadliest attack in 2010 in Pakistan up till that time.
Mohmand Agency
The Mohmand Agency is a district in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan created in 1951. Before that, the Mohmand Tribes were administered by the Deputy Commissioner based in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. However it was not until 1973 that the headquarters of...
, in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
of Pakistan
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...
. At least 104 people were killed while more than 120 people were wounded. This was the last of a streak of attacks that was the record most major terrorist attacks (over 40 deaths) in a row in the Pakistan war on terrorism, with least 7 in a row, much more than the previous record of 2 which happened only 2 times; marking an escalating of the War on Terrorism in Pakistan.
Background
In late 2009 and early 2010, the Pakistani military had been engaged in a campaign to clear militants from the Mohmand AgencyMohmand Agency
The Mohmand Agency is a district in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan created in 1951. Before that, the Mohmand Tribes were administered by the Deputy Commissioner based in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. However it was not until 1973 that the headquarters of...
and the surrounding area, with the commander of forces in the area claiming that 80 percent of militants had been cleared as of September 2009. The area, which borders Kunar Province
Kunar Province
Kunar is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. It is one of the four "N2KL" provinces...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, had been the scene of violence prior to the attack as a result of spillover from neighbouring Afghanistan and other areas of Pakistan.
Attack
At least 104 people were killed and over 120 injured in a bomb blast which left a crater in the road 5 feet (1.5 m) deep. The target of the attack was believed to be a meeting (jirgaJirga
A jirga is a tribal assembly of elders which takes decisions by consensus, particularly among the Pashtun people but also in other ethnic groups near them; they are most common in Afghanistan and among the Pashtuns in Pakistan near its border with Afghanistan...
) of tribal elders near the local government headquarters. 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...
claimed responsibility for the attack. According to a local Taliban spokesman, the meeting was targeted as it was convened to discuss a plan against the Taliban.
The attack was thought to be revenge for an offensive carried out by the Pakistani Army against militants in the tribal area. The blast caused significant damage to the market area, as well as to a local prison, from which several prisoners were able to escape through a wall which was partially destroyed.
Aftermath
The more seriously injured casualties were taken to hospital in PeshawarPeshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, the administrative centre of the tribal areas while the less seriously injured were treated in local hospitals. This was the deadliest attack in 2010 in Pakistan up till that time.
See also
- List of terrorist incidents, 2010
- List of terrorist incidents in Pakistan since 2001
- Islamic terrorism
- Terrorism in PakistanTerrorism in PakistanTerrorism in Pakistan has become a major and highly destructive phenomenon in recent years. The annual death toll from terrorist attacks has risen from 164 in 2003 to 3318 in 2009, with a total of 35,000 Pakistanis killed as of 2010. According to the government of Pakistan, the direct and indirect...