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Aftermath of the suicide bombing at the Pakistani Navy War College in Lahore. Click to view. |
The Taliban have struck at another Pakistani military target outside of the tribal areas. The latest suicide bombing occurred inside the Pakistani Navy War College in the city of Lahore. Seven were reported killed and 21 were wounded in the fifth suicide attack since Feb. 25. Most of those killed were military officers and enlisted.
The suicide bomber entered the college by following a minibus, and detonated his vest shortly afterward, Reuters reported. There may have been more than one bomber, NDTV reported, as up to four explosions were reported. These may have been secondary blasts.
The suicide attack at the Nay War College is the fifth major attack inside Pakistan over the past nine days. An attack at a tribal meeting in the settled district of Kohat in the Northwest Frontier Province on March 2 resulted in more than 40 killed and 40 wounded. The tribal leaders were discussing how to curb Taliban attacks in Kohat and the neighboring Orakzai tribal agency.
A suicide bomber attacked a vehicle of the Bajaur Levies on March 1. Two paramilitary soldiers were killed and 24 were wounded. A suicide bomber struck at a policeman’s funeral in the settled district of Lakki Marwat on Feb. 29. More than 40 Pakistanis were killed and scores more were wounded, many of them critically.
On Feb. 25, a suicide bomber killed the Pakistani Army’s surgeon general in the military garrison city of Rawalpindi. Seven others were killed in the attack and 20 were wounded after a Taliban suicide bomber rammed into Lieutenant General Mushtaq Ahmed Baig’s staff car. Mushtaq is the senior-most general killed in Pakistan since Sept. 11, 2001.
The Taliban have conducted numerous attacks at military bases throughout Pakistan over the past year. Several of these attacks occurred at bases that store Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.
These attacks have prompted a series of statements from Pakistan political and military leaders that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is secure.
See The Fall of Northwestern Pakistan for the full timeline on the rise of al Qaeda and the Taliban in the tribal agencies, the Northwest Frontier Province, and greater Pakistan.
4 Comments
Syed Saleem Shahzad is also convinced a major military assault is imminent against Pakistani Taliban.
Asia Times: Pakistan’s grand bargain falls apart
Is this the same Asia Times that had Pepe Escobar? And whats the other guys name… always writes rambling essays bordering on benign subterfuge.
I’ve always wondered how this stuff makes its way into print, as if marking a warning for all to see. Makes me more curious about warfare and psyops.
The British are now also planning on sending instructors to Pakistan to help with counterinsurgency training.
BBC: UK helps Pakistan fight militants
Surprisingly, the American military does not expect a spring offensive from the Taliban in Afghanistan this year.
Associated Press: Commander: No spring offensive expected