824 killed in bomb attacks across Pakistan in 2014

Islamabad, January 1: At least 824 people were killed and 2,339 others injured in 372 bomb attacks, including 26 suicide bombings, across Pakistan during 2014, according to official statistics. The suicide attacks killed 249 people and left 582 wounded in different areas of the country last year, Xinhua reported citing the official data. In 2014, the number of suicide attacks dropped by 34 percent from the year 2013 when 39 suicide blasts took place.

Terrorists staged 21 suicide attacks during the first six months of the year, seven in January, six in February, one each in March and April, two in May and four in June, which killed 163 people and injure 348 others.

But the number of suicide attacks dropped in the second part of the year after the launch of the military operation “Zarb–e–Azb” against militants in the country’s northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

During the second half of the year, terrorists carried out only five suicide attacks that killed 86 people and left 234 wounded. As the country’s military and law enforcement agencies started taking action against terrorists, the number of total casualties in 2014 dropped by around 46 percent from the previous year, when 1,532 persons were killed in 324 bomb attacks.

In terms of the number of deaths, January of 2014 was the deadliest month when 168 people lost their lives and 401 others sustained injuries in 42 bomb attacks. The month of August was the second most deadliest, when 103 people were killed and 309 others injured in 53 attacks.

The worst attack of the year occurred on November 2 when a suicide bomber exploded his jacket amid a crowd of over 200 people who were returning after attending a “lowering of the flags” ceremony and Pakistan Rangers’ parade at the Wagah border crossing between Pakistan and India.

The attack killed at least 62 people and left over 150 others injured. The ceremony, a tourist favourite held everyday, is attended by hundreds of people, including foreigners, on both Pakistani and Indian sides. (IANS)