2011 Faisalabad Bombing
Background
Faisalabad is the third-largest city in Pakistan and an important industrial hub of Punjab province; the attack was the first of its kind in the area, which usually remained safe from terrorist incidents. Many textile companies are based in Faisalabad. Pro-Taliban militant groups had been gaining strength in the area, which had previously witnessed sectarian violence.
Attack
The car bomb exploded at a compressed natural gas station at about 10:30 am, leaving a 7-foot deep by 15-foot wide crater. According to local officials a Toyota Corolla packed with 40 kilograms of explosives was used in the attack.
The vicinity in which the attack took place was a sensitive area, surrounded by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and military offices. A Pakistan International Airlines building and an ISI building were damaged in the bombing. The bomb caused several gas cylinders to explode and damaged several vehicles and buildings.
The gas 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. Among the dead were an ISI officer and a schoolteacher.
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.
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
- ^ Masood, Salman (8 March 2011). "Car Bomb Kills at Least 24 Near Spy Agency in Pakistan". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ "Blast in Faisalabad CNG station, 25 dead". The Express Tribune. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ Ahmed, Munir (8 March 2011). "Taliban car bombing kills 20 in east Pakistan". Associated Press. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ "25 dead in fresh terrorist activity in Faisalabad". 8 March 2011.
- ^ "Taliban Car Bombing Kills 24 in Pakistan". Voice of America. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ "'At least 20 dead' in car bomb in Faisalabad, Pakistan". BBC. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ "25 killed in petrol station car bombing". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ Desta, Samson (8 March 2011). "Taliban claims responsibility for deadly attack". CNN. Retrieved 8 March 2011.