Kevin M. Mathewson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
QUETTA, Pakistan–Sunni militants in Quetta, Balochistan have claimed responsibility for attacks carried out on a bus carrying women students and on a hospital treating the injured victims on the bus, claiming at least 25 lives.
The follow up attack on the hospital, where survivors of the bus attack were being treated, led to a prolonged gun battle between security forces and militants. The standoff ended when security forces stormed the building, freeing 35 people that had been taken hostage.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks. “The secretary general notes with dismay that violence against women and educators has increased in recent years, the aim to keep girls from attaining the basic rights of education.” Ki-moon’s spokesperson said.
Abubakar Siddiq, a spokesman for Lashkar-e- Jhangvi, claimed that the attacks were revenge for an earlier raid by security forces against the group in the Kharotabad neighborhood of Quetta, where a woman and child were killed. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is known for its close ties with the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
“The suicide attack on the bus was carried out by one of our sisters.” said Siddiq. “She boarded the student bus and blew herself up. Then we carried out a second suicide attack at the hospital and our fighters killed several people.”
On June 6th, Pakistani security forces killed at least three militants and two women belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban during a raid at a house in Kharotabad.
Quetta has been a stronghold for violence, some relating to a separatist insurgency, but much of it carried out by Taliban fighters or other militants. A giant bomb planted in a water tanker being towed by a tractor killed 90 Shiite Hazaras in February, while another suicide bombing at a snooker club in January killed 92. Responsibility for both attacks was claimed by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
Funerals are being planned for the victims of the bus and hospital attacks. An official day of mourning will be observed throughout Balochistan.
Citizens of Pakistan are outraged at both the perpetrators and the security forces who have failed to prevent the three deadly attacks in Quetta in the past six months.
For further information, please see:
The Independent – Pakistan: Gunmen storm hospital after Quetta bus bombing which killed 14 female students – 15 June 2013
Yahoo! News – Sunni militants claim twin Pakistan attacks – 16 June 2013
BBC News – Pakistani city of Quetta in shock after double attack – 16 June 2013
