2011 Faisalabad bombing

The 2011 Faisalabad bombing occurred on 8 March 2011.[1] At least 25 people were killed and over 127 wounded when a car bombing occurred in a compressed natural gas station in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.[2] Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the explosion.[3]

2011 Faisalabad bombing
LocationFaisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
Date8 March 2011
Attack type
Car bombing
WeaponsCar bomb
Deaths25+
Injured127+
PerpetratorsTehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan

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.[4] Many textile companies are based in Faisalabad.[5] Pro-Taliban militant groups had been gaining strength in the area, which had previously witnessed sectarian violence.[6]

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.[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 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.[2] The bomb caused several gas cylinders to explode and damaged several vehicles and buildings.[6]

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.[2] Among the dead were an ISI officer and a schoolteacher.[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

References
  1. Masood, Salman (8 March 2011). "Car Bomb Kills at Least 24 Near Spy Agency in Pakistan". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  2. "Blast in Faisalabad CNG station, 25 dead". The Express Tribune. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  3. Ahmed, Munir (8 March 2011). "Taliban car bombing kills 20 in east Pakistan". Associated Press. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  4. "25 dead in fresh terrorist activity in Faisalabad". 8 March 2011.
  5. "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.
  6. "'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.
  7. "25 killed in petrol station car bombing". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  8. Desta, Samson (8 March 2011). "Taliban claims responsibility for deadly attack". CNN. Retrieved 8 March 2011.

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