Incident Summary:
11/02/2009: On Monday morning at 1040, a male suicide bomber riding a motorcycle detonated the 10 kilogram explosive in the Shalimar Plaza Branch near the Pearl Continental Hotel on Mall Road in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan. The bomber was able to make it to the parking of the National Bank of Pakistan before detonating, which is also near the Pakistani Army's headquarters and a Hotel Shalimar. About 31 civilians and four soldiers were killed and 54 civilians and nine soldiers were wounded. Two women and three children were among those killed. The injured were taken to the nearby Army Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital for treatment. The blast caused massive damage to buildings and vehicles nearby. The attack was aimed at targeting the families of soldiers who were present in the shopping center at the time of the blast. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Overview
GTD ID:
200911020013
When:
2009-11-02
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Punjab
City:
Rawalpindi
Location Details:
In the Shalimar Plaza Branch near the Pearl Continental Hotel on Mall Road in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
National Bank of Pakistan |
Specific Description |
The National Bank of Pakistan |
Nationality of Target |
Pakistan |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Vehicle |
Weapon Details |
A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | Yes |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
The most recent available sources listed the fatalities for this attack from 30, 34, 35, 36, to 38, and the injuries for this attack from 32, 40, 42 to 3, so the majority casualty figures have been used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Unknown |
No |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
1 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
35 Fatalities / 63 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
35 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
1 |
Total Number of Injured |
63 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Xinhua News Agency, “Blast Hits Pakistan's Garrison City, 34 killed,” http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/02/content_12372183.htm (November 2, 2009). |
Voice of America, “Suicide Bomber Kills 35 People near Pakistan's Army Headquarters,” http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-11-02-voa6.cfm (November 2, 2009). |
Daily Times, "Shalimar Plaza Attack," http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\04\story_4-11-2009_pg11_1 (November 4, 2009). |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties