10 October 2008 Orakzai bombing
Encyclopedia
The 10 October 2008 Orakzai bombing occurred when a suicide bomber drove and detonated a pick-up truck packed with 300 kg of explosives into a meeting of 600 people, killing 40 instantly and injuring 81, although the toll later rose to 110 as many died in hospitals. The attack occurred in a remote region where the injured could not get medical attention for several hours.
The attack was preceded by a row between Taliban militants and local Shia tribesmen. Angry tribesmen clashed with the Taliban the day before and destroyed the homes of militants in the area. At the time of the attack, the Ali Khel
tribesmen had gathered to discuss ways to evict the Taliban from the region.
of all 18 tribes of the Orakzai Agency
on September 30 to clear the area of the Taliban by a lashkar, or local militia. The Ali Khel tribe then returned to the area where they held a jirga on October 7 to take collective action against the Taliban along with representatives of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat. On October 10, the tribesmen gathered at Khadizai village to destroy the local Taliban headquarters and homes of people sheltering the militants.
The attack was preceded by a row between Taliban militants and local Shia tribesmen. Angry tribesmen clashed with the Taliban the day before and destroyed the homes of militants in the area. At the time of the attack, the Ali Khel
Ali Khel
Ali Khel is a Pakhtun tribe in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Ali Khel belongs to tribe of Ghilzai and clan of Sunne Khel. It is considered a "brother tribe" of the Sulemankhel.- See also:* Ali Khel, Jalandhar a village in Punjab, India...
tribesmen had gathered to discuss ways to evict the Taliban from the region.
Background
On September 28, the Taliban had asked the Ali Khel tribe, the biggest and the most influential tribe in the area, and its sub-clans to leave the region because they belonged to the minority Shia community. The tribesmen initially left, although a political agent summoned a grand jirgaJirga
A jirga is a tribal assembly of elders which takes decisions by consensus, particularly among the Pashtun people but also in other ethnic groups near them; they are most common in Afghanistan and among the Pashtuns in Pakistan near its border with Afghanistan...
of all 18 tribes of the Orakzai Agency
Orakzai Agency
Orakzai Agency is one of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. It has a population of 450,000 and an area of .- History :The Orakzai tribes take their name, which literally means the lost son , from a romantic legend about their ancestor, Sikandar Shah, who was a prince from Iran,...
on September 30 to clear the area of the Taliban by a lashkar, or local militia. The Ali Khel tribe then returned to the area where they held a jirga on October 7 to take collective action against the Taliban along with representatives of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat. On October 10, the tribesmen gathered at Khadizai village to destroy the local Taliban headquarters and homes of people sheltering the militants.