2009 Alpuri bombing

Suicide bombing in Pakistan

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On October 12, 2009, a suicide bomber threw himself in front of a military truck as it went through a busy market in Alpuri town, Shangla district, Pakistan. Shangla is a district next to Swat valley that was recently the target of a military operation against the Taliban.[3]

In April, Pakistan's army started an offensive, claiming to get rid of the Taliban insurgency in Swat and nearby districts. Mian Iftekhar Hussain, the information minister for the troubled North West Frontier Province, stated the bombing killed 41 people and injured 45 others.[4] After a few days, the death toll increased to 47.[1]

Background

Fall of Shangla

Shangla district was invaded by the Tehreek e Taliban in 2007. Soon after invading dozens of villages in the district, Shangla become a heavy Taliban hotspot in the region. At the end of 2007, several military expeditions from the Pakistani Army took place but none succeeded. In 2008, the Pakistani army cleared a large portion of the district from the Taliban but the insurgency continued, Once Shangla was cleared from the Taliban control, suicide attacks and target killings become common. After a few failed attempts to recover Shangla, Taliban insurgents began to target Pakistani Security forces and checkpoints.[5]

Attack

A spokesman for the army-run Swat Media Centre said that the bomber went after the convoy as it went through a security checkpoint near a busy market in Alpuri town in Shangla.[6] Of the 47 killed, six were Pakistani soldiers.

Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistani president at the time, deplored the attack. Then-prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed his condolences for those who died in the attack, and asked for an investigation.[7]

Aftermath

After this deadly attack, Several Investigation took place in which several people were arrested for investigation purpose.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b Afaq, Tariq; Momand, Shams (7 December 2009). "10 dead, 45 injured in Peshawar suicide blast". Samaa TV.
  2. ^ "TTP claims responsibility for Shangla suicide attack". Dawn. 14 October 2009.
  3. ^ "Six soldiers among 41 killed in Shangla suicide blast". Brecorder. Agence France-Presse. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Suicide bomber kills scores at crowded market near Swat valley". France 24. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  5. ^ Perlez, Jane; Khan, Ismail (16 November 2007). "Militants Gain Despite Decree by Musharraf". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  6. ^ Kolekar, Gopal Rayappa (16 September 2021). The Modern Administration Of The Earth. Blue Rose Publishers. ISBN 978-93-5472-469-5.
  7. ^ "At least 32 killed, 46 injured in Shangla suicide attack: military". The Nation. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Pakistan arrests suspects for blast attacks". The Hindu. 13 October 2009. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 August 2023.