Terror at Islamic University
ISLAMABAD—Twin suicide blasts killed at least The attack comes as the Pakistani Army presses its assault on South Waziristan against Taliban militants, foreign fighters and al Qaeda.
Today’s attacks occurred two or three minutes apart at approximately 3:15 p.m.. The first was at the Girls’ Cafeteria, where 40 women were inside having lunch. The suicide bomber approached the door and asked to go in, police officials on the scene said, but a security guard stopped him from entering. The bomber detonated himself, damaging three vehicles outside and killing three people.
The second bombing took place in front of the chairman’s office at the Imam Abu Hanifah block, which includes the Shari’ah and Law faculty. Two people died there. Shattered glass and drops of blood spattered the steps leading up to the building and inside body parts and charred debris covered the floor.
The International Islamic University enrolls about 12,000 students with half of those women. While no group has yet claimed responsibility, it makes sense that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were behind these attacks, as they appeared to have targeted women’s education and the chancellor of the school.
UPDATE: The Taliban have reportedly denied responsibility for the attacks.
It was the only school open in Islamabad today, which may be another reason why it was targeted. Why it was open is unclear, as all other schools and universities in Islamabad were closed today because of the Waziristan operation. Now, across the country, schools and universities are closing their doors until next week at the earliest.
Students complained to me that the school was unsecured and, indeed, a number of students protested the lack of security when Interior Minister Rehman Malik showed up on the scene.
One has been arrested from near the blast sites, police say.
My friend, Zein Basravi of Al Jazeera English, is graciously providing a number of photos from inside the Abu Hanifah block. I’ll post those as soon as they’re available. In the meantime, here are some of mine from outside the two bomb sites.
And here are Zein’s photos:
Hi, I am from Pakistan and I recently left the country this year to go to university in Canada.
I used to read your blog on Iraq and am extremely delighted that you are covering what is happening in Pakistan.
I wanted to be a journalist but after working as a sub-editor in Daily Times, Pakistan, I realized that the only thing a “professional” journalist based in Pakistan does is follow rules, and keep whoever signs their pay cheque happy.
You have inspired me to think outside the box and I was hoping that you could shed some light on what is happening in Karachi at the moment and details on the way all this is effecting schools
I heard that snipers have been outside some schools because they are constantly getting phone calls, threatening them to segregate the schools or else.
Thank you