Incident Summary:
01/25/2011: On Tuesday evening, in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, a 14 year old suicide bomber detonated his suicide vest, containing more than 12 kilograms of explosive material, seconds after the policemen intercepted him for a body search at a barrier near the Urdu Bazaar Crossing. The boy detonated his vest about five feet away from the police vans, narrowly missing the initial target, the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Ali Hajveri, popularly known as Data Gunj Bukhsh, where a Shiite procession was taking place. Ten people were killed and about 70 more were left wounded in the blast. Two police vehicles were badly damaged. A branch of the Pakistani Taliban, the Qari Hussain Mehsud group, claimed responsibility.
Overview
GTD ID:
201101250007
When:
2011-01-25
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Punjab
City:
Lahore
Location Details:
At a police checkpoint in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
A Shiite procession |
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 |
Suicide (carried bodily by human being) |
Weapon Details |
A suicide improvised explosive device was used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | Yes |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
The available sources listed the fatalities for this attack from 10 to 16, and the injuries for this attack from 70 to 79, and because no majority figures were reported, the lowest proferred casualty figures were used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Group Sub-name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) |
Qari Hussain Mehsud |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Unknown) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
1 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
11 Fatalities / 70 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
11 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
1 |
Total Number of Injured |
70 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Press TV, "Sixteen Killed in Pakistan Bombings," http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161918.html (January 25, 2011). |
Agence France Presse, “Pakistan: Two Suicide Blasts Kill at Least 12 in Lahore, Karachi,” World News Connection, Agence France Presse, January 25, 2011. |
Waqar Gillani, “Bombers Hit Processions of Shiites in Pakistan,” New York Times, January 25, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/world/asia/26pakistan.html?ref=asia. |
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