Pearl Continental hotel bombing
Encyclopedia
The Pearl Continental hotel bombing occurred on 9 June 2009 in Peshawar
, Pakistan
, in which 17 people were killed and at least 46 people injured. The blast occurred at the five-star
Pearl Continental hotel in the city. The force of the explosion caused the hotel to partially collapse. The United States
had planned to purchase this hotel to convert it to a consulate.
Malik Naveed, a provincial police chief, stated that at least 11 people had died but that the death toll was likely to rise. At least 46 others have been injured. Other sources gave tolls of 16 and 18. It was further reported on 10 June that the official death toll had reached 17 as six more bodies were recovered from the debris of the damaged portion of the hotel.
, truck bomb, suicide bomber and a combined gunman-suicide attack. The bomb ignited a large fire, which spread throughout the hotel. In addition, gunshots continued after the bombing. The bomb also damaged "dozens" of vehicles.
Witnesses and one security official have since stated that the perpetrators travelled to the hotel in a delivery pick-up vehicle. They stormed the hotel, firing several shots before the explosion, described as "a big bomb" by a police spokesperson, which led to a fire engulfing the hotel. According to police official Shafqat Malik, "More than 500 kilogram of explosive material was used in the blast."
Most of the foreigners caught in the blast were working with aid agencies helping internally displaced persons. An official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
from Serbia
, Aleksandar Vorkapić, was among those killed; a Filipino employee of UNICEF also died. Three UN employees from Germany, Somalia, and the UK were wounded. It has been reported that four personnel of Xe (Blackwater) were killed in the blast.
, told the BBC
it had carried out the attack with the aim of stopping interference by the United States in Pakistan.
However on 11 June 2009, a previously unknown group calling itself the Abdullah Azzam Shaheed Brigade
claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the attack was in response to attacks by Pakistani military forces on Taliban insurgents in the Swat Valley.
decided to pull its staff from Peshawar
, prompting fears about the fate of 2 million internally displaced people who have fled the fighting in the Swat Valley. UNHCR and Pakistani authorities were accused of negligence after failure to transport the body of the officials who were killed in the accident which caused the cancellation of the funeral. UNHCR responded that they are doing everything in their power to solve this issue but that there were unexpected problems.
, a spokesperson for Asif Ali Zardari
, was quoted as saying 'This is what you get (for the operation against the Taliban), but we can't give up.'
– The Philippines condemned the bombing, which claimed the lives of 11 people, including a Filipino woman. “This senseless terrorist attack on innocent civilians is an unspeakable crime and can never be justified! The Philippine Government affirms its commitment to working with the UN system and Member States in ensuring that this principle is observed," said Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo
.
– Vesna Petković, a spokesman for the UNHCR Serbia, said, "The High Commissioner for Refugees representation in Serbia is deeply distressed at the loss of our colleague Aleksandar Vorkapić, who lost his life in the senseless bombing of the hotel in Peshawar, where he was temporarily placed".
- A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm that one British man has been injured. He is in hospital. We are offering consular assistance." He added: "The UK condemns unreservedly all such acts of indiscriminate terrorism."
– Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
was quoted as saying 'The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest possible terms today's terrorist attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar.'
- EU president Czech Republic condemned the attack saying "No cause can justify such acts"
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said "China strongly condemns the terrorist attack and extends its deep condolences to the victims and their families."
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, in which 17 people were killed and at least 46 people injured. The blast occurred at the five-star
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
Pearl Continental hotel in the city. The force of the explosion caused the hotel to partially collapse. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had planned to purchase this hotel to convert it to a consulate.
Malik Naveed, a provincial police chief, stated that at least 11 people had died but that the death toll was likely to rise. At least 46 others have been injured. Other sources gave tolls of 16 and 18. It was further reported on 10 June that the official death toll had reached 17 as six more bodies were recovered from the debris of the damaged portion of the hotel.
Bombing
Different reports gave different accounts of the bombing. These included reports of a double-car bombCar bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
, truck bomb, suicide bomber and a combined gunman-suicide attack. The bomb ignited a large fire, which spread throughout the hotel. In addition, gunshots continued after the bombing. The bomb also damaged "dozens" of vehicles.
Witnesses and one security official have since stated that the perpetrators travelled to the hotel in a delivery pick-up vehicle. They stormed the hotel, firing several shots before the explosion, described as "a big bomb" by a police spokesperson, which led to a fire engulfing the hotel. According to police official Shafqat Malik, "More than 500 kilogram of explosive material was used in the blast."
Most of the foreigners caught in the blast were working with aid agencies helping internally displaced persons. An official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
from Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Aleksandar Vorkapić, was among those killed; a Filipino employee of UNICEF also died. Three UN employees from Germany, Somalia, and the UK were wounded. It has been reported that four personnel of Xe (Blackwater) were killed in the blast.
Casualties
Journalists have claimed that some of the injured are from outside Pakistan. Hospital officials have also stated that there are victims from outside the country. One doctor said, "We have received 46 injured people including five foreigners."Responsibility
A little-known Pakistani militant group, Fedayeen al-IslamFedayeen al-Islam
Fedayeen al-Islam is a militant group in Pakistan under the leadership of Hakimullah Mehsud, who was a deputy to Baitullah Mehsud in the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan prior to Baitullah's death...
, told the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
it had carried out the attack with the aim of stopping interference by the United States in Pakistan.
However on 11 June 2009, a previously unknown group calling itself the Abdullah Azzam Shaheed Brigade
Abdullah Azzam Shaheed Brigade
Abdullah Azzam Brigades is an Islamist militant group affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the global jihad movement. The group, which began operating in 2009, has local networks in various countries., The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center 01-09-2010 It is named after the late Sheikh...
claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the attack was in response to attacks by Pakistani military forces on Taliban insurgents in the Swat Valley.
Aftermath
Immediately after the blast the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
decided to pull its staff from Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, prompting fears about the fate of 2 million internally displaced people who have fled the fighting in the Swat Valley. UNHCR and Pakistani authorities were accused of negligence after failure to transport the body of the officials who were killed in the accident which caused the cancellation of the funeral. UNHCR responded that they are doing everything in their power to solve this issue but that there were unexpected problems.
Response
– Farahnaz IspahaniFarahnaz Ispahani
Farahnaz Ispahani is currently serving as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and as a spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari. She is married to Husain Haqqani, the current Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, and is the granddaughter of Pakistan's first...
, a spokesperson for Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
, was quoted as saying 'This is what you get (for the operation against the Taliban), but we can't give up.'
– The Philippines condemned the bombing, which claimed the lives of 11 people, including a Filipino woman. “This senseless terrorist attack on innocent civilians is an unspeakable crime and can never be justified! The Philippine Government affirms its commitment to working with the UN system and Member States in ensuring that this principle is observed," said Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo
Alberto Romulo
Alberto Gatmaitan Rómulo is a politician in the Philippines. He served as Foreign Secretary before and during the beginning of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III....
.
– Vesna Petković, a spokesman for the UNHCR Serbia, said, "The High Commissioner for Refugees representation in Serbia is deeply distressed at the loss of our colleague Aleksandar Vorkapić, who lost his life in the senseless bombing of the hotel in Peshawar, where he was temporarily placed".
- A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm that one British man has been injured. He is in hospital. We are offering consular assistance." He added: "The UK condemns unreservedly all such acts of indiscriminate terrorism."
– Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
was quoted as saying 'The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest possible terms today's terrorist attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar.'
- EU president Czech Republic condemned the attack saying "No cause can justify such acts"
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said "China strongly condemns the terrorist attack and extends its deep condolences to the victims and their families."
See also
- List of terrorist incidents, 2009
- List of terrorist incidents in Pakistan since 2001