KARACHI - At least 150 people were killed and over 600 wounded in some 26 bomb blasts occurred in 2013.
According to the reported incidents, the first blast was carried out at the congregation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) at Azizabad on January 1. The blast claimed four lives and wounded 45 when the workers of MQM were returning from Jinnah Ground.
The second major blast was occurred on March 3 which ripped though the area of Abbas Town that claimed 47 lives and wounded over 100. A bomb blast was occurred which targeted the security agencies. At least 10 personnel of rangers and army were killed in some four separate blasts.
The year was crucial for the secular political parties and during the general election campaign in April and May, terrorists carried out some nine attacks against the Pakistan People Party, Awami National Party and MQM. The blasts were carried out at the election offices and corner meetings which claimed the lives of 45 people while hundreds of others were wounded.
The other major blast was conducted on Justice Maqbool Baqar in which some 9 security personnel guarding the justice’s convoy were killed and 15 others were wounded in Burns Road area on June 26. Meanwhile, the chief security officer of Bilawal House, Bilal Shaikh was killed in a blast at Guru Mandir on July 10. Interestingly some 6 terrorists were also killed in two separate explosions occurred due to mishandling. Rest of the low intensity blasts were also claimed several lives of common people in various localities of the metropolis.
There were hundreds of other low intensity cracker/grenade blasts targeting the people who declined to pay the extortion amount to different terrorists and criminal groups. The TTP had established a strong organisational structure in last 2012 especially in District West, Gadap Town and Bin Qasim Town of the metropolis and collected huge amount to finance terrorism.
The commercial hub of the country remained under an intense threat of terrorism since the start of War on Terror. Thousands of people have been killed alone in the metropolitan city. An official has confirmed the existence of some 15,000 operatives of ‘TTP’.
Followed by operation in Swat and Waziristan in 2007, thousands of internally displaced people have been shifted to Karachi for shelter. Thousands of terrorists had also reached Karachi under the cover of IDPs and started their activities and financed them through bank robberies, kidnapping for ransom and extortion.
The covert activities were continued in the City. In late 2012, the ‘TTP’ managed to wipe out ANP from Pushtoon dominated areas and took the control of the areas.