5 April 2010 North-West Frontier Province attacks

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
5 April 2010 Peshawar bombings
Location
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan[2]

On April 5, 2010, two bombings in

intelligence agency.[4] Several militants came in two vehicles. The first vehicle exploded near a security checkpoint, and gunmen in the second car opened fire.[5]
A
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan spokesman claimed responsibility for the assault on the consulate. In Timergara, Lower Dir district an Awami National Party rally came under attack.[6] Pakistani Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq[7] said "Americans are our enemies. We carried out the attack on their consulate in Peshawar. We plan more such attacks."[8]

Preceding events

A suicide attack at a political rally in

Timergarah preceded the Peshawar Bombings. The suicide attacker detonated a bomb near the stage built for the organized celebrations. At least 46 people have died.[9]

Attacks

The American consulate attack killed 8 people including 2 security service personnel.[6] However, no Americans were hurt in the attack. The perpetrators were armed with guns and grenades and two car bombs. The security barrier was damaged, while shells from rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades were seen in the vicinity. Police said one of the car bombs exploded at a checkpoint 50 metres from the consulate, while the other 100 kg bomb went off close to the consulate gate. At least three blasts were reported before a firefight between security forces and the attackers followed. According to Pakistan police official Ghulam Hussain, "The target was certainly the American consulate but they didn't succeed in getting there...one of the suicide bombers blew himself up close to the gate. Police guarding the US consulate started retaliatory fire. More blasts took place. We have recovered unexploded material from four different points".[5] The US Consulate General said two Pakistani security guards employed by the Consulate General were among those killed in the attack.[2]

Hours earlier 44 people died in a suicide attack at a rally in the north-western town of Timergara, Lower Dir District, during a meeting of the Awami National Party (ANP), the ruling coalition in North West Frontier Province. Zahid Khan, an Awami National Party spokesperson, said his party were celebrating plans to change the name of the North West Frontier Province when a suspected suicide bomber detonated his explosives.[8] An official of the ruling ANP party, Hashim Khan Babar, told the media the attacks appeared to be in response to a major security operation which was launched in the Orakzai tribal region near Peshawar last week.[7]

Perpetrators

Drone attacks in Pakistan.[9]

A

CIA officials were killed.[7]

Repercussions

An analyst in the capital said that after the government war on the Taliban the militants spread into more settled areas. He added that "The American consulate is one of the most well-guarded places in Peshawar. It [the attack] was well planned and they very confidently hit their target." Al Jazeera's correspondent also noted that "Although they have been driven out of their strongholds in key areas, there is a feeling that a substantial number of those people have now infiltrated into the settled areas. There is trouble in the southern parts of the Punjab - so you do see some sort of regrouping attempt and a fear that there maybe an escalation of this sort of violence."[8]

Reactions

The United States embassy in Pakistan released a statement condemning the attack and saying that it reflected the "terrorists' desperation".[10] Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesmen, added: "We strongly condemn the violence and the actions. And I would point out that ... extremists in Pakistan have succeeded in killing Pakistanis, which I think hardens the view that has led to gains that have been made over the course of the year against extremism by native Pakistanis."[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ AP (April 5, 2010). "U.S. consulate in Peshawar attacked". The Hindu. Peshawar.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c "Multiple blasts rock Saddar area of Peshawar". Dawn. 5 April 2010. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  3. ^ Khan, Ismail; Tavernise, Sabrina (2010-04-05). "U.S. Consulate in Pakistan Is Attacked by Militants". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
  4. ^ "Explosions near U.S. consulate in Peshawar kill at least 8". Islamabad: CNN. 5 April 2010.
  5. ^ a b AFP (5 April 2010). "Taliban claim attack on US consulate in Pak's Peshawar". Times of India. Miranshah.
  6. ^ a b "Explosions near U.S. consulate in Peshawar kill at least 6". CNN. 2010-04-05. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
  7. ^ a b c "Attack on US consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan". BBC World. 5 April 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d "Taliban claims Peshawar attack". Al Jazeera. 5 April 2010.
  9. ^ a b Ali, Lehaz (6 April 2010). "Pakistan attacks kill 46, target US consulate". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  10. ^ "Statement: Terrorist Attack On U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar". Embassy of the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan. 2010-04-05. Archived from the original on 2010-04-07. Retrieved 2010-04-05.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=5_April_2010_North-West_Frontier_Province_attacks&oldid=1220120221"