2024 Balochistan bombings

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2024 Balochistan bombings
Part of the Insurgency in Balochistan
Location Pishin District and Killa Saifullah, Balochistan, Pakistan [1]
Date7 February 2024
Target 2024 elections campaign
Attack type
 Bombing
Deaths28–30+ [2]
Injured40+ [2]
Perpetrator Islamic State – Khorasan Province [3]

On 7 February 2024, twin bombings killed at least 30 people in Balochistan Province of Pakistan, [4] targeting political campaign offices on the eve of the 2024 general election. [5] At least 40 people were reported injured. [2] The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for both bombings, and said both attacks were carried out by motorbikes rigged with explosives. [6]

Contents

Background

In the runup to the general election on 8 February, several attacks targeting election-related facilities had occurred in Balochistan Province, some of which were claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army, which had urged a boycott of the vote. [4] More than two dozen attacks were reported across the province in the week before the bombings, while caretaker provincial home minister Muhammad Zubair Jamali said that almost 80% of Balochistan's 5,028 polling stations had been declared "sensitive". [5] Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F), whose offices were targeted in the second attack, had previously seen one of its rallies targeted by a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State – Khorasan Province in July 2023. [7]

Events

The first blast, caused by an IED which was planted on a motorbike, killed at least 16 people outside the office of independent candidate Asfand Yar Khan Kakar in Pishin. [8] [9] ISIL claimed it was targeting an election gathering. [10] [11] Pishin Deputy Commissioner Jumadad Mandokhail said that all the victims were supporters of Kakar, and that the bombing occurred in Khanozai bazar. [12] Another 23 people were injured. The injured were taken to the Medical Superintendent Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for treatment. The attack reportedly occurred while the candidate was meeting his polling agent, according to the BBC. [4] About an hour-and-a-half later, a second explosion at the offices of the JUI-F killed 12 people and injured 18, four critically, in a bazaar in the Qilla Saifullah District. [4] [13] [7] The deputy commissioner of Qilla Saifullah said the explosion originated from a device planted on a motorcycle parked near the office. [14] At the time of the explosion, there were a large number of workers inside the building according to police reports. Some of the injured were airlifted by helicopter to the provincial capital, Quetta. [5] [2]

Aftermath

The Foreign Ministry announced the closure of the country's borders with Afghanistan and Iran until 9 February to ensure security during the election. [10]

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for both attacks in a statement posted on Telegram. [15] [10] They released a statement on its affiliated Amaq News Agency taking responsibility for the bombings, claiming that the bombing in Pishin killed and wounded around 45 "apostates", and the bombing in Killa Saifullah killed and wounded another 35. [2] On 9 February, Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistani military, issued a statement claiming the mastermind of the bombings was killed during an intelligence-based operation. According to them, Abdul Shakoor of ISIS, who allegedly planned to conduct further high-profile attacks in Balochistan, was killed during an exchange of fire in Killa Saifullah district. [16]

Reactions

Domestic

President Arif Alvi condemned the attacks and expressed sympathies to the families of the victims of the attack.[ citation needed ] Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar denounced the bombings and expressed condolences to the families of the dead, vowing that "every attempt to sabotage the law and order situation will be thwarted" and pledging the government's commitment to hold elections peacefully. The Balochistan provincial government announced three days of mourning but emphasized that the elections will take place as scheduled. [7] [17] PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif condemned the attacks, saying that they "cannot dampen our spirits". [5] Former President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari both condemned the attacks, expressing "deep sorrow and regret" over the loss of lives. Bilawal said that the planners of the attack should be "punished severely" according to the law, and that targeting civilians is a barbaric act. [18]

International

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott said that she was "appalled" by the attacks and condemned "those seeking to prevent people from voting". [14]

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks and expressed condolences and sympathy to the government and people of Pakistan. It also reaffirmed its stance against terrorism, calling upon nations to cut off funding sources and to not allow safe havens for terrorists. [19]

The spokesperson of the Iranian embassy in Islamabad denounced the bombings and expressed condemnation over the loss of lives and injuries caused by the incident. He also conveyed Iran's solidarity with the Pakistani people. [20]

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the bombings "in the strongest terms", affirming its stance against terrorism and extremism and expressing solidarity with Pakistan and its people. [21]

The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed the UAE's strong condemnation of such criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism. The ministry expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to Pakistan's government and the victim's families, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured. [22]

Organizations

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres "strongly condemned" the bombings, and his spokesperson added that the attacks were "clearly related" to the elections being held the following day. [23]

Amnesty International voiced concern over the escalation of violence targeting election candidates and political entities, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the bombings. It condemned the violence, calling it a "blatant infringement on the democratic process" and a violation of human rights. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insurgency in Balochistan</span> Insurgency in Pakistan and Iran

The Insurgency in Balochistan is an insurgency or revolt by Baloch separatist insurgents and various Islamist militant groups against the governments of Pakistan and Iran in the Balochistan region, which covers the Pakistani province of Balochistan, Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, and Balochistan of southern Afghanistan. Rich in natural resources, this is the largest, least populated and least developed province in Pakistan and Iran, and armed groups demand greater control of the province's natural resources and political autonomy. Baloch separatists have attacked civilians from other ethnicities throughout the province. In the 2010s, attacks against the Shia community by sectarian groups—though not always directly related to the political struggle—have risen, contributing to tensions in Balochistan. In Pakistan, the ethnic separatist insurgency is low-scale but ongoing mainly in southern Balochistan, as well as sectarian and religiously motivated militancy concentrated mainly in northern and central Balochistan.

The Balochistan Liberation Army, is a Baloch ethnonationalist militant separatist organization based in Afghanistan. BLA's first recorded activity was during the summer of 2000, after it claimed credit for a series of bombing attacks on Pakistani authorities. BLA is listed as a terrorist organization by Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Asfand Yar Khan Kakar is a Pakistani politician and ethnic Pashtun tribesman. He is currently serving as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan since February 2024. He has also served from 2008 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persecution of Hazaras in Quetta</span> Persecution in Pakistan since the 1990s

The persecution of Hazaras in Quetta, is a series of ethnic or religious motivated attacks on Hazaras in Quetta, Pakistan.

This is a list of terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2013. Some of the incidents are sectarian in nature and the TTP is responsible for a majority of them.

On 10 January 2013, several bombings took place in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, killing a total of 130 people and injuring at least 270. The Quetta bombings led to protests by the city's Shia Muslim Hazara community; Prime Minister of Pakistan Raja Pervez Ashraf responded by dismissing the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Aslam Raisani, and replacing him with Zulfikar Ali Magsi. On the same day, a bomb exploded in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 22 people and injuring 60 others.

This is a list of terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Baloch Army</span> Militant organization

United Baloch Army was a militant group, fighting for the separation of Balochistan. The group has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the Pakistani government. The government of Pakistan banned the group on 15 March 2013. The group has also been classified as a terrorist organisation by Switzerland's government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August 2016 Quetta attacks</span> 2016 terrorist attack in Quetta, Pakistan

On 8 August 2016, terrorists attacked the Government Hospital of Quetta in Pakistan with a suicide bombing and shooting. They killed more than 70 people, mainly lawyers, and injured more than 130 others. The fatalities were mainly advocates (lawyers) who had assembled at the hospital where the body of Advocate Bilal Anwar Kasi, the president of the Balochistan Bar Association, was brought after he was shot dead by an unknown gunman. Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by various Islamist groups like Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and the Islamic State. Between 70 and 94 people were killed and over 120 injured. 54 of those killed were lawyers.

Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad is a codename of a combined military operation by the Pakistani military in support of local law enforcement agencies to disarm and eliminate the terrorist sleeper cells across all states of Pakistan, started on 22 February 2017. The operation is aimed to eliminate the threat of terrorism, and consolidating the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azb which was launched in 2014 as a joint military offensive. It is further aimed at ensuring the security of Pakistan's borders. The operation is ongoing active participation from Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Police and other Warfare and Civil Armed Forces managed under the Government of Pakistan. More than 375,000 operations have been carried out against terrorists so far. This operation has been mostly acknowledged after Operation Zarb e Azb.

On 12 August 2017, a suicide bombing took place near a Pakistan army truck in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, leaving 15 people dead including 8 soldiers, while injuring 40 others. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack.

On 14 August 2017, an improvised explosive device targeted a Frontier Corps (FC) vehicle in Harnai district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province. The attack left 8 FC troops dead. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Jhal Magsi suicide bombing</span>

On 5 October 2017, a suicide bomber targeted the shrine of Pir Rakhel Shah situated in Fatehpur, a small town in Gandawah tehsil of Jhal Magsi district in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province. At least 20 people, including two policemen, were killed and more than 30 others injured in the suicide attack.

Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2018 include:

On 13 July 2018, ahead of Pakistan's general election, two bombings took place at election rallies in Bannu and Mastung.

Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2019 include:

On 20 January 2022, at least three people were killed and over 20 others injured by a bombing in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. At 1:40 pm, a 1.5 kilogram improvised explosive device exploded on a motorcycle parked next to a pushcart outside a bank in a busy market chowk in the Anarkali area of the city. It broke windows of nearby buildings and set fire to several parked motorcycles. The spokesperson of the Baloch Nationalist Army, claimed responsibility for this attack and said that it targeted bank employees. The attack was strongly condemned locally in Pakistan and internationally by the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Turkey, the United States and Bahrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baloch Nationalist Army</span> Militant group in Pakistan

Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) (Urdu: بلوچ نیشنلسٹ آرمی) was a militant group, fighting for the separation of Balochistan province. The group was formed on January 11, 2022, out of a merger of the Baloch Republican Army (BRA), and the United Baloch Army (UBA). BRA and UBA also announced their dissolution following the establishment of Baloch Nationalist Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Karachi bombing</span> 2022 suicide bombing in Pakistan

On 26 April 2022, a suicide bombing hit a van near the University of Karachi's Confucius Institute, killing three Chinese academics and their Pakistani driver. The Balochistan Liberation Army, claimed responsibility, saying that the perpetrator was the organization's first female suicide bomber.

On 29 September 2023, a suicide bombing occurred in the Mastung District of Balochistan, Pakistan during the Eid Milad-ul-Nabi procession, which commemorates the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. The explosion took place near the Madina Mosque, causing at least 60 deaths and between 50 and 70 injuries. Among the deceased was Mastung's deputy superintendent of police, Nawaz Gashkori. This event is one of several attacks that have occurred in Balochistan over the past decade.

References

  1. ↑ "28 killed, several injured in bombings in Pakistan day before general elections". Arab News PK. 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "At least 30 dead in Balochistan explosions, day before Pakistan election". CNN. 8 February 2024. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. ↑ "Bomb Blasts Kill 30 in Pakistan Ahead of Thursday's Elections". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Fraser, Simon; Baloch, Saher (7 February 2024). "Pakistan election: Two deadly blasts in Balochistan day before vote". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Baloch, Shah Meer (7 February 2024). "At least 30 killed in two bombings at election offices in Pakistan". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "Bomb blasts kill dozens day before Pakistan vote". BBC News. 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Sattar, Abdul; Ahmed, Munir (7 February 2024). "Bombings at Pakistani political offices kill at least 30 a day before parliamentary elections". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "Pakistan polls 2024: Blasts target candidates' offices, at least 30 killed on eve of election". The Times of India. 7 February 2024. ISSN   0971-8257. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  9. ↑ Greenfield, Charlotte; Shahzad, Asif (7 February 2024). "Blasts near Pakistan candidates' offices kill 26 on eve of election". The Star. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 "Twin bombings kill at least 28 as Pakistan prepares for elections". Al Jazeera . 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  11. ↑ "28 killed as back-to-back blasts hit Balochistan on eve of general elections". Dawn News . Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  12. ↑ "26 perish in simultaneous Balochistan blasts". The Express Tribune. 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  13. ↑ "Pakistan explosions: At least 30 killed in blasts outside election candidates' offices". Sky News. 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Deadly twin blasts target Pakistani candidate offices on election eve". France 24. 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  15. ↑ Baloch, Shah Meer (8 February 2024). "Islamic State claims responsibility for bombings on eve of Pakistan election". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  16. ↑ "Mastermind of deadly Balochistan blasts killed in Qilla Saifullah IBO". The Express Tribune. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  17. ↑ "At least 26 killed, 50 injured as two separate blasts target political offices in Balochistan". Geo TV . Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  18. ↑ "Zardari, Bilawal condemn terror attacks in Balochistan". Business Recorder. 8 February 2024. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  19. ↑ "Egypt condemns Pakistan terrorist attacks on eve of general elections". Egypt Today. 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  20. ↑ "Iran Strongly Condemns Baluchistan Terrorist Attack". Khyber News. 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  21. ↑ "Saudi Arabia condemns militant attacks in Pakistan's Balochistan". Arab News PK. 8 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  22. ↑ "UAE condemns terror attacks in Pakistan". Dubai Eye 103.8. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  23. ↑ "UN 'Strongly' Condemns Pakistan Bomb Attacks On Election Eve". Barron's. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  24. ↑ "Amnesty 'alarmed' by pre-polls unrest in Pakistan". The Express Tribune. 7 February 2024. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
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