537 killed in 54 bomb blasts during Jan-March

At least 537 people were killed and 1,103 others got injured in 54 bomb blasts including 11 attacks of suicide nature that ripped through different areas of Pakistan during the first quarter of the current year 2013, according to official figures. Terrorist have conducted 11 suicide attacks during the first three months of the current year, one in January, four in February and six in March, that killed 319 people besides injuring 466 others. The Friday's suicide attack at the security forces was the latest one that killed at least 12 people and left 10 others injured in the country's northwestern metropolitan city of Peshawar. According to police officials, the incident took place when a suicide bomber exploded his explosives laden jacket near the convoy of Frontier Constabulary (FC) led by a commander, killing 12 people including two security personnel. During the month of March, totally 27 attacks including six of suicide nature were conducted by the militants at different targets that killed 185 persons besides leaving 404 others wounded. The month of February embraced 11 explosions that killed 153 and injured 319 others while in month of January, 16 blasts took place that caused 199 causalities and left 380 others hurt. During the period, two most horrible attacks occurred in the country's southwestern provincial capital of Quetta that targeted the areas dominated by Hazara community of Shia Muslims that inflicted a huge loss of life and property. The first assault was carried out on Jan. 10 when twin blasts, a suicide attack followed by an dreadful car bomb blast, targeted a snooker club in Quetta, killing at least 106 people, including nine policemen and 20 rescue workers. The second worst incident occurred on Feb. 16 in the same city, when a suicide bomber exploded his water-tanker-bomb carrying some 1,000 kg explosives in a busy vegetable market and killed 89 civilians besides injuring over 170 others. In another terrorist attack on March 2, at least 50 people were killed and 137 others injured when some unknown terrorists conducted a car bomb blast in a residential area in southern port city of Karachi. Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta was the worst hit area as at least 223 people lost their lives in three major bomb attacks. The attacks on civilians spread panic among masses triggering countrywide protest against the incidents. The terrorists also attacked two different preaching and worshiping centres with remote controlled bomb blasts that killed 38 people who were busy in their religious activities. Official statistics showed that the terrorists carried out 54 bomb attacks at 52 targets, killing 471 civilians as well as 45 personnel from security forces and 21 policemen. Among a total of 1,103 injured, 1001 were civilians followed by members of security forces and police, respectively. Pakistani army's 42 servicemen and 21 policemen lost their lives while three members of Frontier Constabulary were killed in the attacks. The militant groups also used suicide bombers against their rival groups to establish their domination and to capture the areas under the control of their opponents. On March 19, two suicide bombers of 'Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan' targeted a center of Ansar-ul-Islam, a banned militant organization and a rival of Pakistani Taliban, killing 48 people in Bagh area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency, Pakistan's northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Regarding number of explosions in the specific regions, Pakistan's northwestern tribal regions bordering Afghanistan were the worst hit area with 19 bomb attacks, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan provinces with 18, 10 and seven bomb incidents respectively. The heavily populated eastern province of Punjab, that contains 60 percent of Pakistan's total population, remained unhurt as there was no incident of terrorism occurred during the specific period. Majority of the bomb blasts were exploded with remote controlled devices as 36 explosions targeted civilians, 11 security forces and seven were conducted at police personnel. Most of the attacks, especially the shocking ones, were claimed by the Pakistani Taliban who recently threatened to speed up their attacks at the security personnel and public rallies of the political parties who are preparing for the country's general elections 2013. Pakistani Taliban, in a video message, had threatened to attack rallies of the allied parties of the recently ended coalition government of Pakistan People's Party, threatening masses to keep away from such gatherings.