| 2017 Sehwan suicide bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part ofTerrorism in Pakistan | |
 An interior view of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar's shrine in 2014. | |
  Sehwan Sehwan (Sindh) Show map of Sindh Sehwan Sehwan (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan | |
| Location | Sehwan Sharif,Sindh,Pakistan |
| Date | 16 February 2017 |
| Target | Sufi pilgrims |
Attack type | Suicide bombing |
| Weapons | Suicide jacket,[1]grenade[2] |
| Deaths | 91 (+1 bomber)[3][4][5][6][7] |
| Injured | 300+[8][9] |
| Perpetrators |  ISIS |
| Assailants | 1 suicide bomber |
On 16 February 2017, asuicide bombing took place inside theShrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar inSehwan,Sindh,Pakistan, where pilgrims were performing aSufi ritual after theevening prayers.[2][10][11] At least 90 people were killed and over 300 injured.[3][8][12][13][14]
TheIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the bombing.[10] Services at the shrine were resumed the next day in an act of defiance against terrorists,[15] while leading Pakistani performers partook in the traditionalSufi whirling dance at the shrine a few days later as a protest against the radicalIslamist perpetrators.[16]
The attack followed a series ofterrorist incidents earlier in the month, including asuicide attack inLahore. Pakistani authorities alleged that the attacks were orchestrated byjihadists inAfghanistan.[17]
The suicide bomber struck the pilgrims during adhamaal (ritual dance) after the evening prayers.[2] The bomber threw a grenade which failed to explode.[2] Then he blew himself up inside the shrine hall under the dome, near its Golden Gate.[10] The bomber, believed to be an Afghan national, had bypassed the security check at the shrine.[18]
At least 21 children were believed to be among the dead.[19] The bomber used asuicide jacket, with theball bearings in the jacket acting as shrapnel and causing casualties.[1]
The injured and deceased were immediately shifted to the Taluka Medical Hospital[2] which was not equipped with a trauma centre to deal with emergency cases.[10] The medical facilities in Sehwan were basic, and some of the injured were in critical condition.[19][2] A state of emergency was declared for all hospitals in the neighbouring areas.[2]Pakistan Navy helicopters and aPakistan Air ForceC-130 were dispatched for rescue operations.[10]
Hours after the attack, law enforcement agencies launched a nationwide crackdown and search operation, during which over 100 militants were killed and scores arrested.[20] Several insurgents were confronted in Sindh andKhyber Pakhtunkhwa. Weapons, including hand grenades, were recovered from their hideouts.[19] Police arrested a suspected facilitator in connection to the Sehwan attack from Johi, a town in Sindh'sDadu District.[18]On 22 February 2017, a few days after attack, Pakistan Military launchedOperation Radd-ul-Fasaad to eliminate terrorism.[21]
The next morning, the shrine's caretaker continued the daily tradition of ringing the shrine's bell at 3:30 am, and said that he would not be intimidated by terrorists.[22] The shrine'sdhamaal, or meditative dancing ceremony, resumed the evening following the attack.[23] A few days later, several leading Pakistani artists and performers partook in adhamaal at the shrine as a defiant response to radicalIslamists.[24]
Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif condemned the blast,[10] and said that "an attack on the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is an attack on the progressive and inclusive future of Pakistan."[2] A statement released by the military'sInter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the army chief, GeneralQamar Javed Bajwa, had ordered that immediate assistance be provided to civil authorities.[2] Bajwa said "Each drop of the nation's blood shall be revenged, and revenged immediately. No more restraint for anyone."[25]
TheGovernor of Sindh,Mohammad Zubair, condemned the blast and said "Sindh is a land of the Sufis. The terrorists have targeted the devotees to achieve their nefarious designs."[2] TheGovernment of Sindh announced three days of mourning in Sindh, while the governments ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa andBalochistan also announced a day of mourning in their respective provinces.[26]
ISPR spokesman, Major GeneralAsif Ghafoor, tweeted: "Recent terrorist acts are being executed on directions from hostile powers and from sanctuaries inAfghanistan. We shall defend and respond".[25] A few hours after the incident, thePakistan-Afghanistan border was sealed indefinitely for security reasons.[27][28][29] On 17 February, thePakistan Army summonedAfghan embassy officials to theGeneral Headquarters and handed over a list of 76 insurgents hiding in Afghanistan. The army demanded thatKabul take "immediate action" or have them "handed over to Pakistan".[17] The same day, army chiefQamar Javed Bajwa made a telephone call to the general commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan,John W. Nicholson, and expressed concern over such incidents in Pakistan linked to safe havens in Afghanistan. Bajwa stated "Such terrorist activities and inaction against them are testing our current policy of cross border restraint" and urged Nicholson for cooperation in dismantling the militant networks, in addition to briefing him about the list of wanted terrorists.[30] Later, Pakistani security forces destroyed a dozenJamaat-ul-Ahrar camps across the border in eastern Afghanistan, and killed over a dozen militants including a top trainer of suicide bombers.[31][32] The strikes were confirmed by Afghan sources, who said that several Pakistani artillery rounds had hitNangarhar Province'sLal Pur District and that "15 to 20 terrorists, among them Commander Rehman Baba, have been killed and many more injured."[33] The Afghan foreign ministry also protested the shelling by Pakistan on its territory.[34][35]
Afghanistan: PresidentAshraf Ghani condemned the attack, stating that "terrorists once again, proved that they have no respect for Islamic values".[36] Chief ExecutiveAbdullah Abdullah also condemned the attack and offered sympathy to the families of victims and people of Pakistan.[37]
Belarus: Ambassador Andrei Ermolovich condemned the Sehwan blast while expressing solidarity with Pakistan. He also said that Belarus stands with Pakistan in its efforts for elimination of terrorism.[38]
China: PresidentXi Jinping condemned the attack and offered sympathy to the Pakistani people. He said that China "will stand ready to firmly support Pakistan in its effort to fight terrorism, maintain national stability and safeguard its people". Chinese PremierLi Keqiang also expressed shock and condemned the attack.[37]
India: The Indian external affairs ministry strongly condemned the attack on the Lal Qalandar shrine at Sehwan and offered their sympathies to Pakistani people.[39]
Japan: A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that "Japan is shocked and saddened by the suicide attack".[40][41]
Kyrgyzstan: PresidentAlmazbek Atambayev expressed sorrow and offered condolences over the terrorist attack.[37]
Russia: PresidentVladimir Putin expressed condolences over the incident, while reaffirming Russia's "readiness to further step up counter-terrorist cooperation" with Pakistan.[37][40]
Tajikistan: PresidentEmomali Rahmon offered condolence adding that the Tajik people "are deeply saddened by the tragic news".[40]
United States: ActingState Department deputy spokesmanMark Toner said the U.S. condemned the suicide bombing and offered its "support to the Pakistani government as it works to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice". He added: "We stand with the people of Pakistan in their fight against terrorism and remain committed to the security of the South Asia region."[42]At 3.30 am the shrine's caretaker stood among the carnage and defiantly rang its bell, a daily ritual that he vowed to continue, telling AFP he will "not bow down to terrorists".
Kermani told reporters the idea behind her dance "was to tell the perpetrators of terrorism that nobody can stop dance and music. These are part of our heritage, our culture." The artist said she intended to perform 'dhamaal', the ecstatic spiritual dance which the saint used to perform in his life.
At 3.30 am the shrine's caretaker stood among the carnage and defiantly rang its bell, a daily ritual that he vowed to continue, telling AFP he will "not bow down to terrorists".