| 2011 Faisalabad bombing | |
| Partof: | Islamic Terrorism |
| Location: | Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Date: | 8 March 2011 |
| Type: | Car bombing |
| Fatalities: | 25+ |
| Injuries: | 127+ |
| Perps: | Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan |
| Weapons: | Car bomb |
The 2011 Faisalabad bombing occurred on 8 March 2011.[1] At least 25 people were killed and over 127 wounded when a car bombing occurred in a compressed natural gas station in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.[2] Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the explosion.[3]
Faisalabad is the third-largest city in Pakistan and an important industrial hub of Punjab province; the attack was the first of its kind in the area, which usually remained safe from terrorist incidents.[4] Many textile companies are based in Faisalabad.[5] Pro-Taliban militant groups had been gaining strength in the area, which had previously witnessed sectarian violence.
The car bomb exploded at a compressed natural gas station at about 10:30 am, leaving a 7-foot deep by 15-foot wide crater.[1] According to local officials a Toyota Corolla packed with 40 kilograms of explosives was used in the attack.[6]
The vicinity in which the attack took place was a sensitive area, surrounded by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and military offices. A Pakistan International Airlines building and an ISI building were damaged in the bombing.[2] The bomb caused several gas cylinders to explode and damaged several vehicles and buildings.[7]
The gas station was reduced to a pile of bricks and twisted metal. Rescue officials used heavy machinery and cranes to remove rubble from the scene to search for survivors.[2] Among the dead were an ISI officer and a schoolteacher.[8]
A spokesman for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan stated that the bombing, which targeted an ISI building, was in retaliation for the killing of Omar Kundi, a Taliban commander, by special forces in Faisalabad in 2010.[3]