Pakistan: Attempted suicide bombings in Quetta May 17

Event

Pakistani authorities announced that four would-be suicide bombers were killed before they could detonate their explosives at a Frontier Corps (FC) post in Quetta (Bolochistan province). A fifth attacker did manage to detonate a vehicle-borne bomb. The incident occurred near the Chaman Housing Scheme, located on the outskirts of the city, late on Thursday, May 17. Four military personnel were wounded and the fifth attacker was killed. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Context

Quetta district, located in north-central Pakistan, has been plagued by violence in recent months and years, due in large part to its placement along a prominent arms smuggling route. Car bombs, suicide bombings, and armed attacks - perpetrated by various Baloch insurgent groups as well as a number of terrorist groups - are common and often target local security forces as well as lawyers.

The TTP and other Islamist militant groups - including Al-Qai'da, Islamic State (IS) affiliates, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, and the Afghan Taliban - continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite continued army offensives to push them from their northwestern strongholds near the Afghan border. Pakistan has suffered a number of deadly attacks in recent months, notably in Lahore, Quetta, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Advice

Individuals present in Quetta are advised to remain vigilant at all times and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities.

Due to a high threat from terrorism, as well as kidnapping and sectarian violence throughout Pakistan, some Western governments advise their citizens against nonessential travel to the country as foreign nationals, and in particular Westerners, may be directly targeted.