February 2010 Khyber bombing

February 2010 Khyber bombing
Part of War in North-West Pakistan

Location of Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan
Location Khyber Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan
Date 10 February 2010
Deaths 19

The February 2010 Khyber bombing was a suicide bombing in Khyber Agency in Pakistan, on February 10, 2010. At least 19 people including 13 policemen were killed in a suicide bomb attack against a police patrol.[1][2][3][4]

Background

Khyber Agency is located in North West Pakistan. It is on the main supply route for NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan. It has seen several militant attacks against convoys carrying supplies in the past.[1]

Attack

According to officials a local police officer Zurmat Khan appeared to be the target of the attack. Zurmat Khan had been nominated for a gallantry award Tamgha-i-Jurat which was to have been given on March 23.[5][6] He had been previously awarded Rs 350,000 for his bravery in a prior operation against Taliban.[2] He was leading a patrol when the suicide bomber ran towards his vehicle and detonated himself.[2] Militants had earlier attacked his home but no one was injured in that attack.[7] The attack happened on the road NATO uses to supply troops in Afghanistan.[8]

Aftermath

No group has yet claimed responsibility for this attack.[7] A senior police officer in Peshawar stated the most likely the bombing was carried out by Taliban in retaliation for killing of Hakimullah Mehsud.[9] Altaf Hussain chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement strongly condemned the blast and expressed his grief. Rehmatullah Kakar Pakistan's Minister for Housing and Works also condemned the attack[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Salman Masood, "Suicide Attack Kills 17, Mostly Police, in Pakistan", The New York Times, 11 February 2010, page A8.
  2. 1 2 3 Khyber Agency suicide bombing toll climbs to 19, The News International, 2010-02-12
  3. ↑ Suicide attack on police patrol kills 17 in Pakistan, The Dallas Morning News, 2010-02-11
  4. ↑ Ibrahim Shinwari. "Brigadier among 22 killed in Khyber attack " Dawn, 11 February 2010
  5. 1 2 Suicide hit, Cobra crash, ambush kill brigadier, 20 othersThe News International, 2010-02-11
  6. ↑ 18 Khasadars dead in suicide attack, Journal of Turkish Weekly
  7. 1 2 Pakistani police killed in suicide bomb attack, BBC, 2010-02-10
  8. ↑ Suicide Attacker in Pakistan Kills 18 Near Khyber Pass, Voice of America, 2010-02-10
  9. ↑ Suicide bomb attack kills 17 in Pakistan, Financial Times, 2010-02-10

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, May 09, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.