Incident Summary:
12/23/2011: An unknown number of armed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants wearing Frontier Constabulary (FC) uniforms and armed with hand grenades, rocket launchers and automatic machine guns attacked a Frontier Constabulary fort in Mullazai, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. One FC soldier was killed, at least two others were injured and some 16 others were kidnapped. The militants looted the fort before setting it on fire, causing an unknown amount of damage. A TTP spokesman who identified himself as Asmatullah Shaheen claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out to avenge the death of a local Taliban commander, Taj Gul, in a U.S. drone strike in October in the South Waziristan tribal area. Seven injured FC personnel were able to escape, but the status of the other hostages is unknown.
Overview
GTD ID:
201112220022
When:
2011-12-23
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
City:
Mullazai
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Police |
Name of Entity |
Frontier Constabulary (FC) |
Specific Description |
Mullazai Fort |
Nationality of Target |
Pakistan |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
16 |
US Hostages |
0 |
Outcome |
Combination |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Unknown |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Projectile (rockets, mortars, RPGs, etc.) |
Firearms |
Automatic Weapon |
Incendiary |
Arson/Fire |
Weapon Details |
The militants first attacked with rocket launchers, grenades, and automatic machine guns. As they left the scene they set seven rooms and the barracks of the fort on fire. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
1 Fatalities / 4 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
1 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
4 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
"1 killed, 4 injured in checkpost attack in NW Pakistan," Xinhua News Agency, December 23, 2011 |
"20 troops abducted, 1 killed in Taliban attack on FC Fort," Pakistan Today, December 24, 2011 |
"FC man killed, 16 kidnapped from Mullazai Fort in Tank," Daily Times, December 24, 2011 |
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