Incident Summary:
10/16/2002: Two parcel bombs were sent to the Crime Investigation Department (CID), based in Karachi, Pakistan. One of the bombs exploded injuring two investigators. The CID was tasked with tracking down fugitives from Osama bin Laden's network as well as Pakistani Islamic militants. The parcel was inscribed with a message claiming that it was gift from the MMS, referring to the Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal, the alliance of six fundamentalist Islamic parties who won large vote gains during this period. A leader of the MMA denied involvement and said the blasts were aimed at creating instability. Lashkar-e Jhangvi, however, sent an email and claimed responsibility. Despite Lashkar-e Jhangvi claim, Pakistani officials blamed the Indian government.
Overview
GTD ID:
200210160001
When:
2002-10-16
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Sindh
City:
Karachi
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Police |
Name of Entity |
Crime Investigation Department (CID) |
Specific Description |
Crime Investigation Department (CID) office in Karachi, Pakistan |
Nationality of Target |
Pakistan |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Letter Bomb |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
Senior police official Fayyaz Leghari said the parcels were sent by private courier services. According to an official at the news agency, one e-mail said the blasts were a warning to police officials hunting members of banned Islamic groups as well as the Taliban and al-Qaida. Claiming they were sent by Asif Ramzi, a well-known Pakistani militant, the e-mails said 35 packages, each containing about five ounces of explosives, had been mailed from three post offices. Five other parcel bombs were defused at various police and investigation centers in Karachi however reports did not specify their locations. This was one of three related attacks (cf. 200210160001-03). |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: E-mail) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 2 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
2 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
“Postal Bomb Explodes in Office of al-Qaeda Investigators,” Agence France Presse, October 16, 2002. |
“Parcel Bombs Injure 9 At Three Karachi Sites,” Reuters, October 16, 2002. |
“Islamic group claims responsibility for parcel bombs in Karachi,” Deutsche Presse Agentur, October 17, 2002. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties