The March 2013 Karachi bombing was a terrorist attack that struck a predominantly

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

area inside Abbas Town,

Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town Gulshan Town () is a Karachi borough in the northeastern part of Karachi. Gulshan Town was formed in 2001 as part of the Local Government Ordinance 2001, and was subdivided into 11 union councils. The town system was disbanded in 2011, and Gu ...

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

on 3 March 2013. At least 48+ people were killed and more than 180+ others injured after a

car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, van bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roug ...

was detonated outside a Shia

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 ...

, just as locals were leaving after the evening's services. As rescuers gathered to the scene of the bombings, a second blast caused even more destruction. Authorities suspected the Sunni militant group Lashkar-e Jhangvi of being behind the attacks. This was the first major incident within the city since a wave of target killings left more than 300 dead in the summer of 2011.

Arrest of suspects

Sindh police arrested three suspects involved in the blast, ''Shoaib Mehsud'', ''Khalid Rehman Mehsud'' and ''Aurangzaib Mehsud''. These are the members of

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan The Pakistani Taliban, officially the Tehreek-i-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current ...

(TTP) and arrested during the targeted operation in Manghopir on 13 March 2013. In 2024, Umer Farooq, a

militant and one of the prime accused of the attack was killed in an intelligence based operation. The suspect was also involved in the

2023 Karachi police station attack The 2023 Karachi Police Station Attack occurred on 17 February 2023, when Islamist insurgents stormed the heavily guarded Karachi Police Office (KPO) located at the heart of the provincial metropolis of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The attackers ...

References

2013 murders in Pakistan 21st-century mass murder in Pakistan Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2013 Mass murder in 2013 Car and truck bombings in Pakistan 2010s in Karachi March 2013 in Pakistan Terrorist incidents in Karachi Attacks on Shiite mosques in Pakistan Mosque bombings in Pakistan 21st-century attacks on mosques {{Pakistan-hist-stub