On 10 January 2020, a

suicide bombing A suicide attack (also known by a wide variety of other names, see below) is a deliberate attack in which the perpetrators knowingly sacrifice their own lives as part of the attack. These attacks are a form of murder–suicide that is ofte ...

inside a

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

-run

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

killed at least 15 people in

Quetta Quetta is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is the ninth largest city in Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 1.6 million in 2024. It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a ...

, Pakistan. At least 19 others were injured.

Background

Earlier, on 7 January 2020, a motorcycle bombing took place near a

Frontier Corps The Frontier Corps (, reporting name: FC) are a group of four paramilitary forces of Pakistan, operating in the provinces of Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to maintain law and order while overseeing the country's b ...

vehicle on McConaghey Road near Liaquat Bazar in

. The attack killed two people and injured another 14 others. According to reports, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar as well as Baloch terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack.

Bombing

On 10 January 2020, a

took place inside a Taliban-run mosque located in Ghousabad neighbourhood during

Maghrib prayer Maghrib () is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayers), and contains three cycles (''rak'a''). If counted from midnight, it is the fourth one. According to Shia and Sunni Muslims, the period for Maghrib prayer starts just after sun ...

in Quetta's Satellite Town area. The bomb had been planted inside a seminary in the mosque. Among the killed was a Deputy Superintendent of Police, the apparent target of the attack, along with 14 civilians. At least 19 others were injured. The

Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...

claimed responsibility for the bombing. They said the bombing caused 60 casualties, including 20 dead.

Response

Bomb disposal Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are disabled or otherwise rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated fun ...

squad and security personnel swept through the mosque and its surrounding area for evidence. The area was cordoned off and

personnel along with the police carried out a search operation. On 11 January 2020, a first information report was registered by the Counter Terrorism Department against unknown suspects.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quetta bombing, January 2020 2020 in Balochistan, Pakistan 2020 murders in Pakistan January 2020 bombing 21st-century mass murder in Pakistan 2020 building bombings January 2020 bombing Mosque bombings in Pakistan ISIL terrorist incidents in Pakistan Islamic terrorist incidents in 2020 January 2020 crimes in Asia January 2020 in Pakistan Mass murder in 2020 January 2020 bombing Motorcycle bombings in Pakistan Suicide bombings in 2020 January 2020 Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2020 Mosque bombings by Islamists Islamic State–Taliban conflict 21st-century attacks on mosques

Background

Bombing

Response

See also

References