2018 Mastung and Bannu bombings
2018 Mastung and Bannu bombings | |
---|---|
Part of War in North-West Pakistan | |
Location | |
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Bannu: Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen | |
Assailants | Mastung: Abu Bakar al-Pakistani (as per ISIL) Hafiz Nawaz (as per LEAs) |
Participant | Mastung: 1 suicide bomber |
Motive | Derailment of 2018 Pakistani general election |
On 13 July 2018, ahead of Pakistan's general election, two bombings took place at election rallies in Bannu and Mastung.
In Bannu, a remotely exploded bomb planted in a motorcycle left 5 people dead and 37 others wounded in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Akram Khan Durrani. Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen, an extremist organization, claimed responsibility for the attack.
In Mastung, a
Background
Pre-election violence
The attacks came 12 days before
ISIL in Pakistan
After the group's
Prior intelligence
Soon after the
Prime targets
Mastung
Siraj Raisani was a prominent member of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and was to contest the next elections from PB-35. The brother of former Chief Minister of Balochistan Aslam Raisani, Siraj has served as chairman of Muttahida Mahaz Balochistan (MMB), founded by his father. He merged MMB into the BAP on 3 June 2018.[14] Earlier, in July 2011, Raisani had survived an assassination attempt after grenades were thrown at him. In the ambush, his son Hakmal Raisani was killed.[15]
Bannu
Attacks
Mastung
Siraj Raisani was about to address an election rally when a suicide bomber, carrying around 16–20 kg of explosive material in his vest,[20] blew himself up among a crowd of more than 1000 people.[21] Along with Raisani, the explosion killed 128 people.[22] Two days after the attack, on 15 July 2018, the number of dead increased to 149, while 186 other people were injured, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Pakistan since the APS massacre in Peshawar in 2014.[23]
Bannu
Former
Aftermath
Rescue services
Before arrival of rescue teams, people took the injured to hospital via cabs.[27] The ambulances brought survivors to Quetta Civil hospital where a state of emergency was imposed by provincial government.[28] 73 bodies were first transported to the hospital. Later Shamim Akhtar, a hospital official, stated that they were treating 110 victims brought to them.[29] Secretary of Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) Zahid Ansari asked blood banks to provide 1000 blood bags for the victims of the Mastung blast. Ansari was approached by Balochistan Health Department, and urged citizens of Karachi to donate blood, following which mobile messages asking for blood donation started circulating in Karachi.[30] On 14 July 2018, Quetta civil hospital overflowed due to the excess of patients. Beds in the hospital fell short of need and many patients were treated in the corridor of hospital.[31]
Investigations and security measures
On the next day of attacks, a
Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sought a briefing from NACTA over the Bannu bombing and also sought a report from the caretaker CM, IG and chief secretary of KPK over inadequate security of politicians. After Mastung incident, ECP ordered NACTA's coordinator to appear before it on the following day.[34] ECP declared 17,000 polling stations across the country as sensitive. These included 5,487 from Punjab, 5,878 from Sindh, 3,874 in KPK and 1,768 in Balochistan.[35]
Arrests
On next day of attack, security forces detained two suspects. According to security forces, the suicide bomber, who blew himself up in Mastung, came from Afghanistan two days prior to the attack and stayed in Chaghi. The apprehended duo is suspected to have sheltered the assailant inside their residence.[36] On 19 July, IG Balochistan Mohsin Hassan Butt said the suicide bomber named Hafiz Nawaz was resident of Abbottabad.[37] Nawaz had traveled from Abbottabad to Sindh and therein affiliated with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). According to Butt, efforts were underway to arrest Mufti Haider, a facilitator of Nawaz.[38]
Media coverage
On the day of attacks, former
Responsibility
Domestic reactions
Government
Caretaker
Politicians
Chairman of
International reactions
Supranational
- European Union – The EU condemned the attacks and asked for justice to be provided to victims.[50]
- Organization of Islamic Cooperation – Secretary-General Yousef Al-Othaimeen denounced the attacks and offered condolences to people of Pakistan.[62]
- United Nations – Security Council and Secretary-General António Guterres condemned bombings and condoled the victims.[63]
States
- Pakistan's army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and expressed grief over tragedy. He also assured enhanced border security on Afghan side.[64]
- Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati prayed for the families of victims.[65]
- Australia – Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Margaret Adamson denounced both attacks and saying she was grieved over loss of lives.[66]
- China – Deputy Chief of Mission Chinese Embassy in Pakistan Lijian Zhao condemned the attack and ensured Chinese solidarity with Pakistan in its war against militancy.[67]
- Egypt – External affairs ministry condemned attacks and stressed Egyptian people's support for Pakistan.[68]
- Germany – The German Ambassador to Pakistan Martin Kobler tweeted, "Profoundly shocked and deeply saddened about the news of the Mastung". It continued "My thoughts are with the families who lost their beloved ones! What a tragedy! Terror must not prevail."[69] Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the attacks and assured German support for Pakistan.[63] Manfred Weber denounced bombings in a tweet and conveyed his condolences to the victims.[70]
- India – Ministry of External Affairs condemned both attacks and expressed condolences with bereaved families.[71] Leaders of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani also condemned attacks.[72]
- Iran – Spokesperson of foreign ministry Bahram Qaseemi denounced the attacks and offered his condolences to victims.[73]
- Tarō Kōno expressed his condolences to victims and prayed for quick recovery of injures.[74]
- Mexico – External affairs ministry expressed condolences and solidarity with people of Pakistan and condemned violence.[75]
- Qatar – Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the assaults and conveyed their condolences to government of Pakistan.[76]
- Saudi Arabia – The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attacks and ensured Saudi support for Pakistan against militancy.[77]
- Turkey – Presidential spokesperson condemned the attacks terming it attack on Pakistan's democracy and assured its solidarity with people of Pakistan.[78]
- Ukraine – Foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin condemned the attack. In a tweet, he expressed his support for victims.[79]
- Foreign Ministrycondemned the attacks and reaffirmed UAE's solidarity with Pakistan.
- United Kingdom – British diplomat Thomas Drew condemned in a tweet saying "A terrible day. We join our Pakistani friends in our thoughts for the victims of these cowardly attacks and in condemning their perpetrators. No one can be allowed to thwart the country's democratic process."[50]
- United States – Department of State's spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement "The United States strongly condemns this week's attacks on political candidates and their supporters in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan. These attacks are cowardly attempts to deprive the Pakistani people of their democratic rights."[50]
Notable victims
- Siraj Raisani, politician from Balochistan
See also
- List of terrorist incidents linked to Islamic State – Khorasan Province
- 2014 Peshawar school massacre, similar deadliest attack in Pakistan
- 2018 Peshawar suicide bombing, a suicide bombing three days prior to attack
- 2023 Mastung bombing
- Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2018
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Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Saturday, he said that there was no doubt about India's involvement in Mastung blast, adding that New Delhi has always tried to incite violence in Pakistan by fanning terrorism.
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