5 April 2010 North-West Frontier Province attacks

2010 suicide bombings

5 April 2010 Peshawar bombings

Location| Peshawar, Pakistan
Date| April 5, 2010
Target| U.S. Consulate in Peshawar[1] and ANP rally

Attack type

| Suicide attack
Deaths| 50
Injured| 100
Perpetrators| Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan[2]

* 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

On April 5, 2010, two bombings in Pakistan killed up to 50 people and injured 100 more. In the first attack the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar was attacked by militants.[3] The coordinated attack involved a vehicle suicide bomb and attackers who tried to enter the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar by using grenades and weapons fire. Three explosions went off within a span of 15 minutes in the area of Saddar and Hayatabad Avenue, near the American consulate and the Peshawar headquarters of Pakistan's intelligence agency.[4] Several militants came in two vehicles. The first vehicle exploded near a security checkpoint, and gunmen in the second car opened fire.[5] A Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan spokesman claimed responsibility for the assault on the consulate. In Timergara, Lower Dir district an Awami National Party rally came under attack.[6] Pakistani Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq[7] said "Americans are our enemies. We carried out the attack on their consulate in Peshawar. We plan more such attacks."[8]

## Preceding events[edit]

A suicide attack at a political rally in Timergarah preceded the Peshawar Bombings. The suicide attacker detonated a bomb near the stage built for the organized celebrations. At least 46 people have died.[9]

## Attacks[edit]

The American consulate attack killed 8 people including 2 security service personnel.[6] However, no Americans were hurt in the attack. The perpetrators were armed with guns and grenades and two car bombs. The security barrier was damaged, while shells from rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades were seen in the vicinity. Police said one of the car bombs exploded at a checkpoint 50 metres from the consulate, while the other 100 kg bomb went off close to the consulate gate. At least three blasts were reported before a firefight between security forces and the attackers followed. According to Pakistan police official Ghulam Hussain, "The target was certainly the American consulate but they didn't succeed in getting there...one of the suicide bombers blew himself up close to the gate. Police guarding the US consulate started retaliatory fire. More blasts took place. We have recovered unexploded material from four different points".[5] The US Consulate General said two Pakistani security guards employed by the Consulate General were among those killed in the attack.[2]

Hours earlier 44 people died in a suicide attack at a rally in the north-western town of Timergara, Lower Dir District, during a meeting of the Awami National Party (ANP), the ruling coalition in North West Frontier Province. Zahid Khan, an Awami National Party spokesperson, said his party were celebrating plans to change the name of the North West Frontier Province when a suspected suicide bomber detonated his explosives.[8] An official of the ruling ANP party, Hashim Khan Babar, told the media the attacks appeared to be in response to a major security operation which was launched in the Orakzai tribal region near Peshawar last week.[7]

## Perpetrators[edit]

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attacks in a telephone release by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Azam Tariq, with the statement "We accept the attacks on the American consulate. This is revenge for drone attacks. We have already told you that we have 2,800 to 3,000 fedayeen (suicide bombers). We will carry out more such attacks. We will target any place where there are Americans"[2] The attack was revenge for Drone attacks in Pakistan.[9]

A BBC analyst said the Pakistani Taliban were apparently aiming for a feat to match the one last December in Khost, Afghanistan, in which several American CIA officials were killed.[7]

## Repercussions[edit]

An analyst in the capital said that after the government war on the Taliban the militants spread into more settled areas. He added that "The American consulate is one of the most well-guarded places in Peshawar. It [the attack] was well planned and they very confidently hit their target." Al Jazeera's correspondent also noted that "Although they have been driven out of their strongholds in key areas, there is a feeling that a substantial number of those people have now infiltrated into the settled areas. There is trouble in the southern parts of the Punjab - so you do see some sort of regrouping attempt and a fear that there maybe an escalation of this sort of violence."[8]

## Reactions[edit]

The United States embassy in Pakistan released a statement condemning the attack and saying that it reflected the "terrorists' desperation".[10] Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesmen, added: "We strongly condemn the violence and the actions. And I would point out that ... extremists in Pakistan have succeeded in killing Pakistanis, which I think hardens the view that has led to gains that have been made over the course of the year against extremism by native Pakistanis."[8]

## See also[edit]

* List of terrorist incidents in Pakistan since 2001
* 2002 US consulate bombing in Karachi

## References[edit]

1. ^ AP (April 5, 2010). "U.S. consulate in Peshawar attacked". The Hindu. Peshawar.[permanent dead link]
2. ^ a b c "Multiple blasts rock Saddar area of Peshawar". Dawn. 5 April 2010. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
3. ^ Khan, Ismail; Tavernise, Sabrina (2010-04-05). "U.S. Consulate in Pakistan Is Attacked by Militants". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
4. ^ "Explosions near U.S. consulate in Peshawar kill at least 8". Islamabad: CNN. 5 April 2010.
5. ^ a b AFP (5 April 2010). "Taliban claim attack on US consulate in Pak's Peshawar". Times of India. Miranshah.
6. ^ a b "Explosions near U.S. consulate in Peshawar kill at least 6". CNN. 2010-04-05. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
7. ^ a b c "Attack on US consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan". BBC World. 5 April 2010.
8. ^ a b c d "Taliban claims Peshawar attack". Al Jazeera. 5 April 2010.
9. ^ a b Ali, Lehaz (6 April 2010). "Pakistan attacks kill 46, target US consulate". The Sydney Morning Herald.
10. ^ "Statement: Terrorist Attack On U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar". Embassy of the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan. 2010-04-05. Archived from the original on 2010-04-07. Retrieved 2010-04-05.

## External links[edit]

* Pictures of the attack from BBC News
* Video of the attack from GEO News (via BBC News)

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