MyLifeDump

A huge truck bomb exploded at the entrance to the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan Saturday evening, right after the Iftaar, killing at least 60 people and wounding scores of others.

The tally will climb up as more and more bodies are found, the Marriott Hotel now looks like a war zone with a huge crater in front of its gates. The fire has engulfed the entire hotel, just imagine hell and you will get the picture.

Terrorists like Islamabad because of its high foreigner concentration being the capital of Pakistan. Hitting Islamabad is like hitting the very core of Pakistan because Islamabad is considered to be the most secured place in Pakistan according to inhabitants of other cities.

At least 10 suicide bombers have targeted Islamabad since 1995 — claiming more than 200 lives and injuring scores of others. Last night was the second time the Marriott Hotel was targeted.

Picture courtesy of NY Times.

Here is the Ten Year Timeline, courtesy of OhMyNews:

Nov. 19, 1995
A suicide bomber blasts a truck loaded with ammunition at the main gate of Egyptian embassy, killing 14 people. The embassy building was severely damaged.

May 27, 2005
A decade later, a suicide bomber detonates a bomb in the courtyard of Imam Bari shrine. In this gory incident at least 24 were killed.

Jan. 26, 2007
This was the first time a suicide bomber tried to sneak into the Marriott hotel, using the back entrance. During the brawl, a bomber and a hotel guard were killed and five other hotel employees were injured.

Feb. 6, 2007
One bomber was killed in the parking area of Islamabad International Airport and five security guards were injured.

July 18, 2007
A suicide bomber attacked a rally of lawyers during a procession to city courts where deposed Chief Justice Iftkhar Muhammad was about to deliver a speech. Twenty people were killed, including political workers and lawyers.

July 27, 2007
A gory incident at the Red Mosque was on the minds of citizens of Islamabad, where during the three week long military operation thousands were caught up in fighting between paramilitary Rangers and religious students. On the eve of the re-opening of the Red Mosque there was fierce fighting between these two groups. The brawl led to a suicide attack at nearby AabPara Market that claimed the lives of 22 people, including seven police guards.

March 15, 2008
A suicide bomber attacks an exclusive French restaurant — Lana Capers — where two FBI agents were dining. Two persons were killed and 15 others were injured.

June 2, 2008
The Danish embassy was targeted by a powerful car bomb that was rammed into the embassy’s main gate. Six people were killed and 25 were injured.

July 6, 2008
In the vicinity of the Red Mosque, another suicide bomber targets a civilian crowd and policemen. Twenty people were killed and the city was put in an emergency lock down with tight security. A convention of religious scholars was going on in the mosque when all this happened.

Sept. 20, 2008
A blast at the Marriott hotel jolts the whole of Pakistan. It was the worst kind of blast, totally devastating the five star hotel. More than 100 people are feared dead and 200 were seriously injured. There was a pit 50 meters in diameter and 100 meters deep.

As you can see, majority of the attacks have taken place after 2005. This I believe has been due to the increasing rift between the Taliban factions of the tribal areas and the Government.

Tweet This Post 

If you're new to MyLifeDump, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!