2013 Dera Ismail Khan prison attack

Prison attack in Pakistan

Dera Ismail Khan Prison attack of 2013

Part of War in North-West Pakistan
| Date| 29 July 2013 (2013-07-29)

|

Location|

Central Jail Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

31°49′0″N 70°55′0″E﻿ / ﻿31.81667°N 70.91667°E﻿ / 31.81667; 70.91667
Result|  Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan victory
(300 prisoners freed)
Belligerents
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police|  Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
Strength
|  150[1]
Casualties and losses
4 killed and 7 injured[1]|  5 killed

Central Jail Dera Ismail Khan

class=notpageimage|

Location of prison

Show map of Dera Ismail Khan

Central Jail Dera Ismail Khan

Central Jail Dera Ismail Khan (Pakistan)

Show map of Pakistan

* v
* t
* e

Terrorist attacks
in Pakistan (since 2001)

Italics indicates attacks resulting in more than 40 deaths
‡ indicates attacks resulting in more than 100 deaths
Underline indicates the deadliest terrorist attack/s to date

2001|

* 1st Bahawalpur

2002|

* 1st Karachi

2003|

* 1st Quetta

2004|

* 2nd Quetta
* 1st Multan

2005|

* 1st Mandi Bahauddin (Ahmadiyya)

2006|

* 4th Karachi
* Dargai

2007|

* 1st Dera Ismail Khan
* 1st Charsadda
* July bombings ‡
* 2nd Rawalpindi
* 5th Karachi ‡
* 2nd Charsadda
* 3rd Rawalpindi (Bhutto assassination)

2008|

* 3rd Charsadda
* 2nd Parachinar
* 1st Swat
* 1st Islamabad
* 2nd Islamabad
* 2nd Dera Ismail Khan
* 1st Wah
* 1st Peshawar
* 3rd Islamabad
* 1st Orakzai ‡
* 2nd Peshawar

2009|

* 4th/5th Dera Ismail Khan (January violence)
* 6th Dera Ismail Khan
* 2nd Lahore (Sri Lankan cricket)
* 1st Khyber
* 3rd Lahore
* Chakwal
* 7th/8th Dera Ismail Khan (May attacks)
* 4th Lahore
* 3rd Peshawar
* 5th Lahore
* Usterzai
* 4th Peshawar
* 4th Rawalpindi
* Alpuri
* 6th Lahore
* 5th Islamabad
* 5th Peshawar ‡
* 5th Rawalpindi
* 6th Peshawar
* 6th Rawalpindi
* 7th Lahore
* 1st Dera Ghazi Khan
* 1st Lower Dir
* 6th Karachi

2010|

* 1st Lakki Marwat ‡
* 1st Bajaur
* 2nd Lower Dir
* 7th Karachi
* 2nd Khyber
* 3rd Khyber
* 8th, 9th & 10th Lahore
* U.S consulate/Timergarah attack
* 2nd/3rd Kohat
* 8th Peshawar
* 11th Lahore (Ahmadiyya)
* 9th Dera Ismail Khan
* 12th Lahore (Sufi)
* 1st Mohmand ‡
* 13th Lahore (Shia)
* 3rd Quetta
* 2nd Darra Adam Khel
* 8th Karachi (CID)
* 2nd Mohmand
* 2nd Bajaur

2011|

* Faisalabad
* 9th Peshawar
* 2nd Dera Ghazi Khan
* 4th Quetta
* 4th Charsadda
* 9th Karachi (PNS Mehran)
* 10th Peshawar
* 10th Dera Ismail Khan (police station)
* 4th Khyber
* 5th Quetta
* Karachi targeted killings ‡
* 1st Mastung

2012|

* 5th Khyber
* 1st Rahim Yar Khan
* 1st Kohistan
* Mansehra
* 13th Peshawar (airport)
* 11th Dera Ismail Khan

2013|

* 8th Quetta/3rd Swat ‡
* 9th Quetta
* 10th Karachi
* Election day
* Quaid-e-Azam residency
* 10th Quetta
* Mardan
* Nanga Parbat
* 11th Quetta/17th Peshawar
* 14th Lahore
* 5th Parachinar
* 12th Dera Ismail Khan (prison attack)
* 11th Karachi
* 12th Quetta
* 13th Quetta
* 18th Peshawar ‡
* 19th Peshawar

2014|

* 12th Karachi (Chaudhry Aslam assassination)
* 1st Bannu
* 2nd Mastung
* 20th Peshawar
* 13th Karachi (Jinnah International Airport)
* 14th Quetta
* Wagah border
* 21st Peshawar (school massacre) ‡

2015|

* Shikarpur
* 22nd Peshawar
* 15th Lahore
* 14th Karachi
* 3rd Mastung
* Attock
* Camp Badaber
* Taunsa Sharif
* 15th Quetta
* Jacobabad
* 6th Parachinar

2016|

* 16th Quetta
* 5th Charsadda (Bacha Khan University)
* 23rd Peshawar
* 16th Lahore
* 17th Quetta
* 3rd Mohmand
* 18th Quetta
* 2nd Khuzdar

2017|

* 13th Dera Ismail Khan
* 7th Parachinar
* 17th Lahore
* 24th Peshawar
* Sehwan
* 6th Charsadda
* 8th Parachinar
* 18th Lahore
* 25th Peshawar
* 4th Mastung
* 19th Quetta/9th Parachinar
* Chaman
* 19th Lahore
* 20th Lahore
* 4th Bajaur
* 20th Quetta
* 1st Harnai
* 14th Dera Ismail Khan (Ataullah Shah)
* Jhal Magsi
* 27th Peshawar
* 21st Quetta

2018|

* 28th Peshawar
* 5th Mastung/2nd Bannu ‡
* 15th Dera Ismail Khan
* 2018 election violence
* 22nd Quetta
* 2nd Orakzai
* 15th Karachi (Chinese consulate)

2019|

* 1st Loralai
* 2nd Loralai/Panjgur
* 23rd Quetta
* 20th Lahore
* 1st Gwadar

2020|

* 24th Quetta
* 25th Quetta
* 16th Karachi (Stock Exchange)

2021|

* 2021 Machh attack
* 3rd Chaman
* 26th Quetta (Serena Hotel)
* 21st Lahore
* 17th Karachi
* 27th Quetta
* 28th Quetta

2022|

* 22nd Lahore
* 1st Kech
* Panjgur and Naushki
* 29th Quetta
* Sibi
* 29th Peshawar
* Sangan
* 18th Karachi
* 19th Karachi
* 1st Miranshah
* 4th Swat
* 2nd Lakki Marwat
* 30th Quetta
* 2nd Miranshah
* 3rd Bannu
* 7th Islamabad

2023|

* 31st Peshawar
* 20th Karachi
* Barkhan
* Bolan
* Havelian
* 3rd Lakki Marwat
* 8th Khyber
* 31st Quetta
* Muslim Bagh
* 32nd Peshawar
* Zhob
* 1st N Waziristan
* Bara
* Khar
* 2nd N Waziristan
* 6th Mastung
* Hangu
* 16th Dera Ismail Khan
* 2nd Gwadar
* Mianwali
* Chilas
* Daraban

2024|

* 2024 Balochistan
* BLA Gwadar attack
* Shangla
* Lakki Marwat
* 32nd Quetta

On 29 July 2013, terrorists attacked on Dera Ismail Khan's central prison and freed more than 240 criminals including 35 high-profile terrorists. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility of attack.[2]

## Background

[edit]

On July 27, a letter marked “secret” and “most immediate” by the ISI addressed to the commissioner, deputy commissioner, deputy inspector general of police, district police officer and the superintendent of Dera Ismail Khan central jail, stated: “It has been reliably learnt that miscreants namely Umer Khitab and his associates affiliated with Gadanpur Group/Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan are planning to carry out terrorist attack against Central Jail – Dera Ismail Khan on the pattern similar to Bannu jailbreak in near future. According to information, miscreants are in possession of sketch/map of Jail and have reached in the vicinity of Dera Ismail Khan for this purpose.”[3][4]

## Attack

[edit]

The attackers first destroyed an armoured police vehicle outside prison and threw many Hand grenades on prison's security guards.[1] According to a police official, militants were disguised in police uniform and were firing Rocket launchers from outside of prison, he said "Militants were firing rockets at the jail and I also heard gunfire from inside the building".[1][5] Residents in Dera Ismail Khan reported hearing loud blasts and gunfires.[1] About hundred militants (who were armed with Guns, mortars, Rocket-propelled grenades and bombs) attacked the prison.[6] Militants launched their attack with series of explosion. Militants have also launched an attack on buildings surrounding the prison, including a radio station and a hospital. A nearby house was also reportedly attacked where the militants took the residents hostage and laid an ambush for security forces’ reinforcements.[7] While attacking, the militants were shouting " God is great" and "Long live Taliban".[6] The attackers then entered the prison and opened fires on police officers. The police officers fired and used Tear gas in retaliation.[8] A resulting gun battle raged for three to four hours. During attack, four police officers and five attackers were killed while several injured.[9] The militants managed to free 248 prisoners.[5]

## Aftermath

[edit]

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid claimed responsibility for the attack, saying 150 militants took part and about 300 prisoners were freed. Eight of the attackers wore suicide vests and two detonated their explosives, Shahid told the Associated Press by telephone from an undisclosed location.[10] Authorities captured nine prisoners who escaped and were searching for the others. Army soldiers were called in as reinforcements. A curfew had been imposed in Dera Ismail Khan and the nearby town of Tank while the search contented,[10] One of the militants freed in the attack was Adnan Rasheed, who had recently gained attention by writing a letter to teenage education activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012. Rasheed said he wished the attack hadn't happened but told Malala that she had been targeted for speaking ill of the Taliban. [11]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "230 prisoners escape in TTP's DI Khan jail attack". The Express Tribune. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
2. ^ "TTP claims responsibility for DI Khan prison attack". Geo News. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
3. ^ Khan, Ismail (31 July 2013). "Jailbreak: it wasn't an intelligence failure for once". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
4. ^ "DI Khan jail break: Authorities knew two days before attack". The Express Tribune. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
5. ^ a b "Pakistan jailbreak: Taliban free 248 in Dera Ismail Khan". BBC News. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
6. ^ a b "Pakistani Taliban free over 175 inmates in DI Khan jailbreak". Dawn News. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
7. ^ "Five policemen killed as TTP storm DI Khan prison, dozens escape". The Express Tribune. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
8. ^ "Three prisoners escape in DI Khan Central Jail attack". The Express Tribune. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
9. ^ "Terrorist involved in D I Khan central jail attack killed". Dunya News. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
10. ^ a b Press, Associated (30 July 2013). "Taliban attack Pakistan prison". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
11. ^ "TTP Militant Pens Letter to Malala – Newsweek Pakistan". 17 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2024.

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template