| 2011 Faisalabad bombing | |
|---|---|
| Location | Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Date | 8 March 2011 |
Attack type | Car explosive |
| Deaths | 25+ |
Non-fatal injuries | 127+ |
| Perpetrators | Taliban |
The 2011 Faisalabad bombing occurred on 8 March 2011.[1] At least 25 people were killed and over 127 wounded when a car bomb blast occurred in a compressed natural gas station in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad.[2] The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the explosion.[3]
Background[]
Faisalabad is the fourth-largest city in the country and an important industrial hub of the Punjab province; the attack was the first of its kind in the area, which usually remained safe from terrorist incidents.[4] Faisalabad is the home of Pakistani textile industry.[5] Pro-Taliban militant groups had been gaining strength in the area, which had previously witnessed sectarian violence.[6]
Attack[]
The car bomb went off at about 10:30 am and left a 7-foot deep by 15-foot wide crater.[1] According to local officials a Toyota Corolla packed with 40 kilograms of explosives was used in the attack.[7]
The vicinity in which the attack took place was said to be a sensitive area and surrounded by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and military offices. A Pakistan International Airlines building and an ISI building were damaged in the bombing.[2] The bomb caused several gas cylinders to explode and damaged several vehicles and buildings.[6]
The station was reduced to a pile of bricks and twisted metal. Rescue officials used heavy machinery and cranes to remove rubble from the scene to search for survivors.[2] Among the dead were an ISI officer and a school teacher.[8]
Responsibility[]
A spokesman for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan stated that the bombing, which targeted an ISI building, was in retaliation for the killing of Omar Kundi, a Taliban commander, by special forces in Faisalabad in 2010.[3]
See also[]
- List of armed conflicts and attacks, 2011
- List of terrorist incidents in Pakistan since 2001
- War in North-West Pakistan
- Terrorism in Pakistan
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Masood, Salman (8 March 2011). "Car Bomb Kills at Least 24 Near Spy Agency in Pakistan". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/world/asia/09pakistan-blast.html. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Blast in Faisalabad CNG station, 25 dead". The Express Tribune. 8 March 2011. http://tribune.com.pk/story/129384/blast-in-faisalabad-injures-12/. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ahmed, Munir (8 March 2011). "Taliban car bombing kills 20 in east Pakistan". http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110308/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_19. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ↑ "25 dead in fresh terrorist activity in Faisalabad". 8 March 2011. http://pakistanissue.blogspot.com/2011/03/25-dead-and-more-than-120-wounded-in.html.
- ↑ "Taliban Car Bombing Kills 24 in Pakistan". Voice of America. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110309110139/http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Car-Bomb-Rips-Through-Gas-Station-in-Pakistan-117569888.html. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "'At least 20 dead' in car bomb in Faisalabad, Pakistan". BBC. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110309053011/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12672955. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ↑ "25 killed in petrol station car bombing". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 March 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/09/3158792.htm. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ↑ Desta, Samson (8 March 2011). "Taliban claims responsibility for deadly attack". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/08/pakistan.blast/#. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
Coordinates: 31°15′N 73°03′E / 31.25°N 73.05°E
The original article can be found at 2011 Faisalabad bombing and the edit history here.