|
|
Terrorism-related
Incidents in Lahore - 2009
No
|
Date
|
Incident
|
1
|
January 9
|
Five explosions were reported
from two theatres in Lahore. However, no casualty was reported.
Four low-intensity bombs exploded in the main electricity supply
control room of the Al-Falah Theatre at around 8:20 pm (PST) while
a high-intensity bomb exploded at the Tamasil theatre at around
10:30 pm in Mozang Chungi. A suspect was arrested from the premises
of Al-Falah, who was taken to the Civil Lines police station for
interrogation. Declining to name a group, the Deputy Inspector
General of Police (Investigations), Mushtaq Sukhera, said people
opposed to cultural activities carried out the attacks – "which
can be considered part of a series starting from juice shops in
Garhi Shahu and later targeting Alhamra Cultural Complex."
"The group believes that these places are centres of anti-Islamic
activities and spread obscenity," he said.
|
2
|
January 20
|
Police seized an explosive-laden
vehicle from Tufail Road in Lahore Cantonment.
|
3
|
January 26
|
The plan of blowing up the offices
of senior Police officers in Lahore, capital of Punjab province,
was foiled when the Police recovered four high explosive bombs.
Police sources told that four bombs were recovered following a
Police Rescue 15 call at around 8 pm. A senior Police officer
said the bombs contained ball bearings weighing some three kilograms
and time devices attached. The first bomb was recovered from outside
the main gate of SSP (Operations) Office, opposite to the Civil
Lines College. The second bomb was planted in a waste enclosure
on Rettigan Road in the rear side of SSP (Operations) office.
The third and fourth ones were hidden in a bucket of milk alongside
the road on footpath and outside the office of Superintendent
of Police (Operations) City Division. Another official said the
bombs would have exploded at the difference of 10 minutes starting
at 8:20 pm.
|
4
|
February 17
|
Security agencies arrested three
suspected terrorists from the walled city area of Lahore and seized
explosive material from their possession. The terrorists were
arrested near Lohari Gate and two hand grenades, some live detonators,
and other explosive material were recovered. The three persons
hail from the Northern Areas and were arrested on information
received from some terrorists arrested earlier. The three were
allegedly involved in attacking NATO supply trucks and came to
Lahore to create unrest in the city.
|
5
|
March 3
|
Sri Lankan cricketers narrowly
escaped a terrorist attack when terrorists ambushed the bus carrying
them to the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day’s play of the second
Test. At least seven persons - six policemen escorting the Sri
Lankans and the driver of another van in the convoy - were killed
and 20 others wounded in the attack near the Liberty roundabout,
500 metres from the stadium. Seven Sri Lankan players were among
the wounded. Two of them - Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavithana
- were hospitalised for a few hours with bullet injuries. Doctors
later reported they were out of danger. The other injured players
were skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis,
Thilina Thushara and Suranga Lokumal. All of them escaped with
minor injuries. A British coach, Paul Farbrace, and a Pakistani
umpire, Ahsan Raza, were also injured in the attack.
|
6
|
March 18
|
Lahore Police claimed to have
arrested a suspected al Qaeda member in Akbari Gate and seized
a large cache of chemicals, explosives, electronics and bullets
from him. Police’s Anti-Vehicle Lifting Staff with a secret agency
officials gathered particulars of suspected terrorist Mursaleen
alias Jamshaid, of Bazaar Ghulam Muhammad Thaikidarwala, Gujranwala.
Police learnt that Mursaleen, who had got training from banned
jihadi outfits, used to dispatch bombs and material used in explosives
from different lorry stands in Gujranwala and Lahore to Miranshah
in North Waziristan to al Qaeda activists.
|
7
|
March 19
|
Intelligence agencies arrested
five aides of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud from Sham Nagar
in the Lytton Road Police precincts of Lahore and seized detonators
and explosive material from their possession. Sources said three
of the suspects were identified as Sasta Gul, Sher Ali Gul and
Mahar Zad Gul Khan. During preliminary interrogation, the men
confessed to their links with Baitullah Mehsud and conducting
terrorist activities in the country, sources said.
|
8
|
March 30 |
Eight Police recruits and a civilian were killed
when a group of 10 terrorists attacked the Police Training Centre
in Manawan with guns and grenades. SFs regained control of the
facility in an operation that lasted for more than eight hours.
About 93 cadets and civilians were injured. One of the attackers
was arrested, another was able to flee after being hit by a bullet
and three blew themselves up to avoid arrest, Punjab Police Inspector
General Khawaja Khalid Farooq said. He believed the other attackers
might have fled unhurt in the densely populated neighbourhood.
|
9
|
April 20 |
The Islamabad Police announced the arrest of two
hard-core terrorists from the federal capital who were acting
as planners and facilitators for carrying out terrorist acts in
the city. The SSP, Tahir Alam Khan, said Khairullah Mehsud, a
resident of South Waziristan, who was living in Sector G-9/2,
was arrested from F-9 Park. Intelligence agencies have reportedly
traced his links with terrorist groups in South Waziristan, which
he developed after the Lal Masjid incident. "He was in contact
with Gul Bahadur in South Waziristan and Misal Khan in Akora Khattak.
During the course of investigations Khairullah made certain revelations,
which eventually led to the arrest of another terrorist identified
as Khurram Shahzad son of Lal Afzal who had undergone terrorism
training at the camp of a banned terrorist organization," the
SSP said. He said Khurram Shahzad had visited the tribal areas
as well as Hangu, Bara and Peshawar quite frequently and during
those visits he had taken 'recruits' from Islamabad for training
in camps established by the terrorist groups there. The SSP also
said Khurram Shahzad and other 'recruits' who accompanied him
on those visits, got training to handle explosive materials, especially
making lethal 'oil canister' bombs.
|
10
|
May 6
|
Security agencies arrested three
alleged would-be suicide bombers from the Sabzi Mandi area. According
to a private TV channel, the three have been identified as Abdul
Aziz, Misri Shah and Qari Shahid. The channel also reported that
a Mohmand Agency resident had brought the alleged attackers from
the FATA.
|
11
|
May 13 |
Security agencies have arrested three key accused
of the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore. A private
TV channel reported that the arrested suspects were members of
the banned Sunni group LeJ and hail from southern Punjab. Two
of the arrested men were directly involved in the attack on the
Sri Lankan players while the third provided logistic support to
the attackers in the city, the channel's sources said. The channel
also said the assailants had received training in a militant camp
at Wana in South Waziristan.
|
12
|
May 15 |
Security agencies arrested three suspected terrorists,
including two would-be suicide bombers, from Lahore. According
to a private TV channel, the security officials also seized two
suicide vests from the suspects aged between 15 and 16. The channel
quoted its sources as saying that one of the alleged would-be
suicide bombers was the mastermind of the attacks on NATO terminals
in Peshawar. The three have been identified as Noorullah, Amin
and Abdul Saboor.
|
13
|
May 27 |
Suicide bombers detonated a vehicle loaded with
100 kilograms of explosives near offices of the capital city police
officer (CCPO) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Lahore-
killing at least 27 persons and injuring 326 others, in addition
to destroying a two-storey building of the Rescue 15 police service,
according to Police. An ISI colonel and 15 Police officials were
among those killed. Witnesses said the attack started midmorning
when two gunmen stepped out of a white van - which had pulled
up in a narrow street separating the police and ISI buildings
- cautioned civilians to take cover, and started firing at SF
personnel deployed down the street. The gunmen also hurled a grenade
at the SFs personnel. As the firing continued, the driver managed
to cross the concrete barrier, but could not get further and was
forced to blow up the vehicle there. Superintendent of Police
Sohail Sukhera said a threefold security cordon prevented the
attackers from getting to the offices CCPO and ISI offices. He
said the terrorist in the vehicle was shot - which prompted him
to blow up the vehicle about a hundred feet away from the intended
target, in front of the Rescue 15 building.
|
14
|
May 28 |
Security agencies arrested about 50 people suspected
for involvement in the bomb-and-gun attack in Lahore from different
parts of the city. Intelligence agency sources told that about
20 suspects were arrested from Iqbal Town, Bund Road, hostels
in Ichhra and outskirts of the city. The sources said most of
the arrested were Afghan nationals. They said the arrests were
made on the information gained from suspects arrested at the blast
site.
|
15
|
May 31 |
Hundreds of activists of the banned Hizbul Tehrir
outfit held a rally in Lahore in protest against military operations
in the Malakand Division of NWFP and the presence of US forces
in the region. The City Division Superintendent of Police, Rana
Abdul Jabbar, told that more than 80 activists of the organisation
had been arrested under the Anti-Terrorist Act that proscribes
any banned outfit to hold public activities.
|
16
|
June 12 |
At least seven persons, including a prominent
anti-Taliban cleric, were killed and seven injured when a suicide
attacker detonated himself at the Jamia Naeemia madrassa (seminary)
in the Garhi Shahu area of Lahore shortly after Friday prayers.
Targeting Sarfaraz Naeemi, the head of Jamia Naeemia, the terrorist
reportedly waited until the anti-Taliban cleric had reached his
office before launching his attack. Six people were with Naeemi
in his office at the time. A seminary student, Muhammad Faisal,
said the bomber had pretended to be a student. Following the blast,
hundreds of outraged students gathered at the scene and demanded
the Taliban leave Pakistan. Naeemi's brother Muhammad Tajwar told
that the cleric had recently received death threats for condemning
the Taliban, but had refused the offer of Police protection. Inspector
General of Police, Tariq Saleem Dogar, said since Naeemi had never
asked for security, the attack was not a security lapse. District
Officer (Civil Defence) Mazhar Hussain said the attacker had used
a 20-kilogramme suicide vest containing ball bearings and iron
filings. Police said the bomber was aged between 16 and 17, clean-shaven
and had a fair complexion. Police also claimed to have later arrested
two suspected terrorists.
|
17
|
June 17 |
The Lahore Police claimed the arrest of a terrorist
involved in the attack on a visiting Sri Lankan cricket team on
March 3, with officials claiming the attackers had plans to take
the cricketers hostage to demand the release of jailed leaders
of their group. The Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Pervaiz
Rathore told a press conference that the arrested man, identified
as Zubair alias Naik Muhammad, who killed an unarmed traffic warden
in the attack was a member of the Punjab Taliban, an offshoot
of the banned LeJ group. Seven people, including six Policemen,
were killed when terrorists ambushed the Sri Lankan team while
it was being driven to Gaddafi Stadium for a match.
|
18
|
June 24
|
The Punjab Inspector General of
Police, Tariq Saleem Dogar, told a top-level meeting in Lahore
that 18 terrorists and suicide bombers had been arrested from
Punjab and suicide jackets recovered over the past month and a
half. The meeting was told that Shahbaz Ali Khalid alias Abdullah,
Shujat Ali alias Tikka, Muhammad Akhtar Naeem alias Shah Jee,
Said Ahmad alias Mujahid and Qari Muhammad Arshad were planning
to commit terrorist acts, while Qari Asim, Muhammad Zubair, Rizwan
Mehmood, Rizwan Abdul Qadir, Qari Sanaullah, Hijratullah alias
Shakirullah alias Pattanga alias Sher Khan, Muhammad Zubair alias
Naik Muhamad, Malik Naeem Haider alias Waqas alias Vikki alias
Haji, Ghulam Mustafa Qaisrani, Qari Muhammad Ismaeel, Saleem Zaman,
Abdul Hayee, Abdullah alias Ghazali were wanted by the Punjab
Police for their involvement in the Rawalpindi Peer Wadhai bombing;
the Police Training School attack in Manawan, the attack on Mianwali
Check-post, Sri Lankan Cricket Team attack and the suicide attack
on a mourners’ procession in Dera Ghazi Khan.
|
19
|
June 29 |
The Lahore Police claimed arresting seven terrorists
linked to the JeM and TTP and recovering explosives and weapons.
According to a handout by the Capital City Police office, the
Police arrested the terrorists from T-4 Ali Park, Bund Road Lahore
after a brief exchange of fire. It said the men planned to launch
terrorist attacks in the city. The handout said the suspects were
arrested at a check-post near Shera Kot bus station. They were
identified as Karim Bukhsh, Abdul Rehman, Muhammad Younas, Shafaqat
Farooqi and Hafiz Muhammad Ijaz. The police said two rifles, three
pistols, 22 kilograms of explosives and bullets were recovered.
It also said the arrested suspects informed Police about their
three accomplices residing in the Bund Road area. The Police subsequently
raided their hideout and arrested Shehzad and Ijaz Mahmood. However,
Muhammad Ramazan, a resident of Rahim Yar Khan, managed to escape.
The Police recovered 12 kg of explosives from the suspects' hideout.
|
20
|
July 24 |
The Iqbal Town Police arrested a local agent of
the banned militant group LeI, who was allegedly involved in supplying
people for training them as suicide bombers. Investigation Officer
Rana Haseeb Akhtar said the accused, Arif alias Ghora, has admitted
during initial investigation that he had relations with the Lel
and he had been taking people to Peshawar, the NWFP capital, to
hand them over to the Taliban. He said the accused had admitted
that he was planning to take one Syed Naveed Akhtar Gilani and
his two friends - Mudassir and Faisal - to Peshawar on the plea
of a visit, and later hand them over to Taliban.
|
21
|
July 29 |
Security agencies arrested three suspected terrorists
and seized explosives and weapons on their information. A source
said Police arrested Mirullah Jan, Ahsaanullah and Mir Badshah
from a bus stand in Sherakot. On their information, the Police
later raided a house in Sherakot and seized a cache of weapons
and explosives.
|
22
|
October 14
|
The Lahore Police arrested two
suspected terrorists and recovered a suicide jacket from their
possession. Both terrorists were hiding in the flats of Liaquatabad
after escaping from Model Town. According to eyewitnesses, both
the suspects were around 20-25 years of age. Their names and outfit
affiliation were, however, not disclosed so far.
|
23
|
October 15
|
19 persons, including 14 SF personnel,
were killed and 41 others sustained injuries in three separate
terrorist attacks in Lahore. All nine attackers were also shot
dead by the SFs, officials said. The attacks were carried out
at the FIA building on the Temple Road, the Manawan Police Training
Centre and the Elite Police Academy on the Bedian Road. The District
Emergency Control Room reportedly received the first call of a
terrorist attack at 9:40am (PST) on the FIA building. After 15-16
minutes, the control room received other calls of attacks on the
Manawan Police Training Centre and the Elite Police Training Academy
at 9:55am and 9:56am, respectively.
|
24
|
October 18
|
At least 73 suspects, including
seven foreigners, were arrested when the law-enforcement agencies
conducted raids in Lahore, Islamabad and other parts of the country,
sources said. Agencies raided Azadi Chaok Yadgar in Lahore and
arrested three persons and recovered a huge cache of weapons,
cartridges and fake identity cards from their possession. The
accused belong to the TTP’s Amjad Farooqi Group. Further, the
Margalla Police raided the office of the Hizbut Tahrir in Islamabad
and arrested 35 persons. The police claimed to have recovered
sensitive material from the office. Besides, the Guddu Police
arrested several foreigners from a coach going from Quetta to
Peshawar. In a joint operation, Police and Rangers arrested seven
foreigners from the border area between the Punjab and Sindh provinces.
|
25
|
October 22
|
Police arrested three foreigners
from the Sandha area. Iqbal Town Superintendent of Police Ali
Rizvi said all three men were wanted for an attack on the Rescue-15
building in Lahore.
|
26
|
December 7
|
Two bomb blasts killed at least
38 people, and injured more than 100 at the crowded Moon Market
in Allama Iqbal area of Lahore in Punjab. The two bombs exploded
30 seconds apart at 8:45 PM (PST). The first blast occurred outside
a plaza housing a branch of the Muslim Commercial Bank, while
the other outside the Allama Iqbal Town Police Station, situated
across the road. A suicide bomber had also targeted Moon Market
in August 2008 in which nine people were killed. As the first
bomb went off, the plaza where the bank is situated, and an adjacent
building went up in flames, halting rescue work, Nazeer Ahmed,
a security guard who was at the spot when the blasts occurred,
said. Nazeer said the fire made it impossible to rescue anyone
from the burning buildings. The Punjab Law Minister, Police officials
and officials of the Bomb Disposal Squad, rescue officials and
witnesses could not say if the blasts were suicide attacks or
remote-controlled detonations. Punjab Inspector General Tariq
Saleem Dogar said the bombs might have been detonated by remote
control, while Superintendent of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi said he
was not certain if a suicide bomber was involved. "We have
recovered 33 dead bodies so far," said Dr Rizwan Naseer,
Director General of Rescue and put the toll for the injured at
95. However, Dawn reports 45 causalities in the twin blast.
|
27
|
December 30
|
According to a delayed report
of December 20, the Police arrested Khalilullah, the Punjab chief
of the proscribed TTP, and 17-year-old would-be suicide bomber,
Usman alias Shahbaz, from Manawan locality of Lahore. Khalil,
who was said to be the right hand of late Baitullah Mehsud, allegedly
masterminded the twin suicide bombings at Moon Market of Iqbal
Town in Lahore on December 7, 2009. According to sources, the
Cantonment Division Police raided an outhouse of Malik Nazir in
a Manawan locality of Lahore on December 20 and arrested Khalil
and the 17-year-old would-be suicide bomber, Usman alias Shahbaz.
Police recovered explosive material and sensitive documents from
the place where he was living. On confession provided by Khalil,
Police captured another eight suspected militants, three of them
from Tandlianwala in Faisalabad District. During interrogation,
the suspected militants confessed that they were to attack the
flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah border on December 22. Khalil
confessed before investigators that he had a team of 600 suicide
bombers. According to sources, Khalil was on the US list of most-wanted
terrorists. Capital City Police Officer Pervez Rathor said that
Khalil arranged food, accommodation, weapons and vehicles for
the bombers for attacks across the province.
|
|