On 9 July 2010, a

suicide bombing A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...

occurred in a market in Yakaghund,

Mohmand Agency Mohmand District ( ps, مومندو ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an Federally Administered Tribal Areas#Administrative divisions, agency of Federally Admi ...

, in the

Federally Administered Tribal Areas , conventional_long_name = Federally Administered Tribal Areas , nation = Pakistan , subdivision = Autonomous territory , image_flag = Flag of FATA.svg , image_coat = File:Coat of arms ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. At least 104 people were killed while more than 120 people were wounded. This was the last of a streak of attacks that was the record most major terrorist attacks (over 40 deaths) in a row in the Pakistan war on terrorism, with least 7 in a row, much more than the previous record of 2 which happened only 2 times; marking an escalating of the War on Terrorism in Pakistan.

Background

In late 2009 and early 2010, the Pakistani military had been engaged in a campaign to clear militants from the

and the surrounding area, with the commander of forces in the area claiming that 80 percent of militants had been cleared as of September 2009. The area, which borders

Kunar Province Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- Ha ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, had been the scene of violence prior to the attack as a result of spillover from neighbouring Afghanistan and other areas of Pakistan.

Attack

At least 104 people were killed and over 120 injured in a bomb blast which left a crater in the road deep. The target of the attack was believed to be a meeting (

jirga A jirga ( ps, جرګه, ''jərga'') is an assembly of leaders that makes decisions by consensus according to Pashtunwali, the Pashtun social code. It is conducted in order to settle disputes among the Pashtuns, but also by members of other ethnic ...

) of tribal elders near the local government headquarters.

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan The Pakistani Taliban (), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Urdu/ ps, , lit=Student Movement of Pakistan, TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani bo ...

claimed responsibility for the attack. According to a local Taliban spokesman, the meeting was targeted as it was convened to discuss a plan against the Taliban. The attack was thought to be revenge for an offensive carried out by the

Pakistani Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...

against militants in the tribal area. The blast caused significant damage to the market area, as well as to a local prison, from which several prisoners were able to escape through a wall which was partially destroyed.

Aftermath

The more seriously injured casualties were taken to hospital in

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

, the administrative centre of the tribal areas while the less seriously injured were treated in local hospitals. This was the deadliest attack in 2010 in Pakistan up till that time.

References

{{coord missing, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2010 murders in Pakistan Islamic terrorist incidents in 2010 Mass murder in 2010 Suicide bombings in Pakistan Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2010 Mohmand District Crime in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Marketplace attacks in Asia

Background

Attack

Aftermath

See also

References