- December 2009 Lahore attacks
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Bold indicates attacks resulting in over 40 deaths
Underline indicates attacks resulting in over 100 deaths
Red indicates the deadliest terrorist attack to date2001 1st Bahawalpur2002 2003 1st Quetta – 1st Rawalpindi2004 2005 1st Mandi Bahauddin (Ahmadiyya)2006 4th Karachi – 1st Dargai2007 2008 2nd Charsadda – Parachinar – 1st Swat – 1st Darra Adam Khel – 1st Islamabad – 2nd Islamabad – Wah – 2nd Swat – 1st Peshawar – 3rd Islamabad – Orakzai – 2nd Peshawar2009 2nd Lahore (Lankan cricket) – 1st Khyber – 3rd Lahore – 4th Islamabad – Chakwal – 4th Lahore – Upper Dir – 3rd Peshawar – 5th Lahore – Khanewal – Kohat – 4th Peshawar – 4th Rawalpindi – Shangla – 6th Lahore – 5th Islamabad – 5th Peshawar – 5th Rawalpindi – 6th Peshawar – 6th Rawalpindi – 7th Lahore – 1st Dera Ghazi Khan – 1st Lower Dir – 6th Karachi2010 Lakki Marwat – 1st Bajaur – 2nd Lower Dir – 7th Karachi – 2nd Khyber – 3rd Khyber – 8th Lahore – 9th/10th Lahore – 7th Peshawar – 2nd/3rd Kohat – 8th Peshawar – 11th Lahore (Ahmadiyya) – 12th Lahore (Sufi) – 1st Mohmand Agency – 13th Lahore (Shia) – 3rd Quetta – 2nd Darra Adam Khel – 8th Karachi (CID) – 2nd Mohmand Agency – 2nd Bajaur2011 Faisalabad – 9th Peshawar – 2nd Dera Ghazi Khan – 3rd Charsadda – PNS Mehran – 10th Peshawar – Khyber Agency – 9th Karachi (target killings) – 1st Mastung
December 2009 Lahore attacks were a series of two bomb blasts which occurred in a crowded market in Lahore, Pakistan on December 7, 2009. At least 54 people were killed & about 150 others wounded.[1]
Contents
Attacks
The blasts took place in the Moon Market of Lahore's Allama Iqbal town late in the night.[2] One of the blasts was in front of a bank and the second one was in front of a police station. The two blasts which were within 30 seconds of each other resulted in a blaze which engulfed the shops in the market.[3] The attack came at about 9 PM local time and struck a corner of the market where women were buying clothes. After the blasts the militants fired at the people fleeing the scene.[4] Most of the victims were women.[5] The second blast was near an electricity pole and caused a short circuit which is thought to have led to the fire.[6]
Aftermath
After initial investigations Civil Defence District Officer Mazhar Ahmed stated that it appeared that both blasts were caused by suicide bombers. According to preliminary reports the bombers were about 18 years of age and from southern Punjab (Pakistan).[7] Federal Bureau of Investigation also sent a team to the market and it collected samples of explosives and other evidence from the site.[8]
Widespread conspiracy theories circulated after the attacks that India and United States were behind the violence and government officials stoked this perception. However analyst Hassan Askari-Rizvi dismissing these theories stated that the idea that India may be behind the terror attacks is "a very widely shared perception, but there's hardly any evidence to substantiate that. They [the militants] have attacked civilians in the past. I think the government consciously creates that confusion."[9]
See also
References
- ^ Twin Attacks in Pakistan Kill Dozens, The New York Times, 2009-12-08
- ^ At least 45 killed as twin bombs hit Lahore, Dawn (newspaper), 2009-12-08
- ^ Market bombs 'kill dozens' in Pakistan's Lahore, BBC, 2009-12-08
- ^ Market Attack in Eastern Pakistan Kills at Least 30, The New York Times, 2009-12-07
- ^ Dozens killed in Pakistan market blasts, CNN, 2009-12-07
- ^ Lahore blasts caused by suicide bombers: police, Dawn (newspaper), 2009-12-09
- ^ Lahore blasts were suicide attacks, Daily Times (Pakistan), 2009-12-09
- ^ FBI team visits Lahore's Moon market blast site, Asian News International, 2009-12-10
- ^ Pakistan attacks: Officials feed suspicion that India, US are to blame, The Christian Science Monitor, 2009-12-08
External links
Categories:- Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2009
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