The year 2008 was proved fatal for Pakistan regarding suicide bombings and terrorist attacks as 63 attacks with an average of 5.25 attacks a month in which 725 people including 576 civilians and 149 security personnel (SF)and 2072 wounded having an average of 60 killings per month.
The increasing number of terrorist and suicide attacks have not only caused life and property losses but also put a heavy dent to country's economy by forcing foreign investors to withdraw their money.
The worsening law and order situation during the year 2007 remained unchanged in 2008. In 56 incidents of suicide bombings during the year 2007, 422 officials of law enforcement agencies and 220 civilians had been killed.
According to a data available to Business Recorder, the terrorists continued their disruptive activities and January 10, suicide attack on police officials outside Lahore High Court was first attack of the year 2008, killing 20 people including 16 police officials and four civilians. The December 28 suicide attack a polling station in Buner was the last and 63rd suicide attack of the year, in which 34 people including four children had been killed.
The September 20 truck suicide bombing attack at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad was one of the worst attacks, in which 80 people lost their lives, besides destroying country's top hotel, considered as safer place by foreigners.
During the twelve months of the year 2008, only February and June were the months during which no suicide attack took place in the country and people remained safe from the evil hands of the terrorists.
In February there were 6 attacks. On February 9, a suicide bomber killed 25 people at opposition election rally in Charsadda. On February 16, suicide car bomber attacked a PPP rally in tribal town of Parachinar, killing 37. On February 22, a roadside bomb hit a wedding party in northern Swat, killing at least 14 people.
On February 25, a suicide bomber blew himself on Mall Road, Rawalpindi and killed Surgeon General of Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Mushtaq Baig and seven other people. On February 28, a roadside bomb killed 3 police officials in Matta Swat. On February 29, a suicide bomber killed 44 people in Mingora, Swat valley, during the funeral of police officials, who were in a roadside bomb.
In March there were 6 attacks-on March 2, a suicide bomber killed 43, when he blew himself up in a jirga meeting of anti-militant tribal elders in Darra Adam Khel. On March 4, two suicide bombers attacked Pakistan Naval War College in Lahore, killing five people and wounding 19.
On March 10, suicide attackers detonated two huge truck bombs in Lahore, killing 26 people and partly demolishing the Federal Investigation Agency building in the city. On March 15, a bomb blast at Italian restaurant in Islamabad killed a Turkish woman and wounded 10 others, including four agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
April was a month passed in calm and people expressed a sigh of relief. But the May came again with one suicide attack on May 19 in which 13 people were killed in Mardan.
Again the month of June was a peaceful month for people of Pakistan with no terrorist strike but military operation in tribal areas. But July was no different having two attacks-on July 2, a suicide car bomb outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad killed eight people. On July 6, suicide bomber killed 15 people in an attack on police in Islamabad during a rally to mark the anniversary of army operation against Lal Mosque.
August witnessed four attacks-on August 12, a roadside bomb ripped through Pakistan Air Force bus in Peshawar, killing 13. On August 19, a suicide bomber killed 23 people at a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan. On August 21, twin suicide attacks killed at least 70 people outside Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POFs), Wah. On August 28, a bomb attack targeting policemen killed 10 people in Bannu.
In September people of Pakistan had faced five terrorist attacks-on September 6, a suicide bomber killed 33 people at a security checkpoint near Peshawar. On September 11, suspected militants hurled grenades and fired into a mosque in Peshawar killing at least 20 worshippers. On September 20, suicide attackers rammed an explosive-laden dumper on the entrance of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, killing about 80 people. On September 22, at least nine security personnel were killed on in a suicide car-bomb attack on a check post in Swat. On September 24, a teenaged female student was killed in a suicide blast aimed at a Frontier Corps (FC) convoy in Quetta cantonment.
Four attacks were witnessed in October-on October 6, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a political gathering at residence of Rashid Akbar Niwani, MNA of PML-N killing 25 people. On October 10 at least 40 people were killed, while around 90 were wounded when a suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle targeted an anti-Taliban jirga in Orakzai Agency. On October 19, four people were killed when a remote-controlled bomb exploded in the main bazaar of Dera Bugti. On October 26, at least 11 people, seven of them Frontier Corps personnel and three Khasadars, were killed and five injured in a suicide attack in Mohmand Agency.
In November five attacks occurred-on November 4, seven persons, including three security officials were killed in a suicide attack on a security force check post in Hangu district. On November 11, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a packed Qayyum Stadium in Peshawar, killing four people. On November 12, five people were killed as a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-filled bus into the gates of a school in Charsadda district. On November 17, at least three troops were killed when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a security check post in Swat's Khawazakhela area. On November 20, a suicide bomber killed at least nine people at a mosque in Mamoond tehsil of Bajaur Agency.
In December 3 -security forces personnel and two civilians were killed on December 3 after a Mohmand Rifles convoy was bombed near Shabqadar in Charsadda district. On December 5, a car bomb explosion outside an Imambargah near Peshawar's historic Qisakhwani Bazaar killed at least 22 people. On the same day, at least six people were killed when an explosives-laden vehicle blew up in Kalaia area of Lower Orakzai Agency. On December 14, at least two people were killed in a remote-controlled bomb blast in Dera Bugti district. Most of the terrorist attacks were suicide attacks which were condemned largely by people and Muttehadda Ulema Council also declared the suicide attacks as haram and against the teachings of Islam.
Comments
Comments are closed.