2003 Quetta mosque bombing
| 2003 Quetta mosque bombing | |
|---|---|
 Map of Quetta | |
| Location | Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan |
| Date | 4 July 2003 (2003-07-04) (Pakistan Standard Time) |
Attack type | Suicide bombing, mass shooting, grenade attack |
| Weapons | Hand grenades, explosive belt, guns |
| Deaths | 53 |
| Injured | at least 65 |
| Perpetrators | Lashkar-e-Jhangvi |
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Terrorist attacks
in Pakistan (since 2001)
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
‡ indicates attacks resulting in more than 100 deaths
Underline indicates the deadliest terrorist attack/s to date
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On 4 July 2003, 53 Hazara Shias were killed and at least 65 others were injured when the mosque was attacked during the Friday prayer in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.[1][2] When hundreds of worshipers were offering Friday prayer, three armed men entered the Asna Ashari Hazara Imambargah and started shooting, threw hand grenades and one suicide bomber blew himself up - which left 53 dead and tens of others injured.[1][2] It was second major sectarian attack on Quetta's Hazaras after the massacre of police cadets.[when?] It was the start of the series of killings of Hazaras in Quetta.
Bombing
On 4 July 2003, hundreds of worshippers were practicing Friday prayer in Asna Ashri Hazara Imambargah Kalan mosque. Five men armed with automatic weapons[3] entered the mosque and fired on worshippers for ten continuous minutes and tried to throw a grenade, but it exploded in his hand. Worshippers disarmed one of the attackers and killed a third one. The other two attackers ran away from the roof. This attack left more 65 dead and tens of others injured.[4]
Perpetrators
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a banned terrorist group, was responsible for the attack on the mosque. After investigations, intelligence agencies found a video compact disc in which two people are shown who claimed their people attacked the mosque and they were going to meet them in paradise.[5]
Response
- Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan at the time, cut short his 18-day trip to America and Europe. He was in a news conference in Paris when he heard the news.[6][7] On his return to Islamabad, he said:[6]
Whether they are religious extremists or sectarian extremists they are ignorant and wild.
- In response, police in Quetta arrested around 19 culprits who were found to be involved in the attack.[1]
See also
- Persecution of Hazara people
- Quetta attacks
- 2004 Quetta Ashura massacre
- 2011 Mastung bus shooting
- September 2010 Quetta bombing
- 2011 Hazara Town shooting
- 2019 Ghotki riots
- List of massacres in Pakistan
References
- ^ a b c "19 arrested after attack on mosque". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2003.
- ^ a b AFP, Quetta (5 July 2003). "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 4 Num 39". Thedailystar.net. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ "Sectarian Terror In Quetta". Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ McGirk, Tim (7 July 2003). "A Prayer Before Dying". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Daily Times". Daily Times. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Sectarian Terror in Quetta".
- ^ "Pakistan: Tension over sectarian bombing - TIME". 20 January 2011. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
