Weapons Explosive belt Motive Revenge Location Shadikhan, Pakistan | Non-fatal injuries 20+ Date 16 August 2015 | |
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Target Shuja Khanzada, civilians Deaths at least 22; 20–25 missing Perpetrators Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) Locations Attock District, Shadikhan Attack types Assassination, Suicide attack Similar Taunsa Sharif bombing, Mian Channu school ho, 2015 Quetta bus bombing, April 2010 Kohat bombings, February 2010 Karachi b | ||
On 16 August 2015, two suspected suicide bombers detonated explosives at the home office of Punjab Interior Minister Shuja Khanzada in the Attock District village of Shadikhan, 80 km (50 mi) from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The blasts killed the minister and at least 21 other people; at least 20 people are still missing. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a Deobandi militant group with ties to Al-Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Attack
On Sunday, 16 August 2015, 71-year-old Shuja Khanzada was meeting with relatives and friends at his home office in the village of Shadikhan to condole the death of a relative who had died in the United Kingdom, when the attack was perpetrated by two men strapped with a combined 15 kg (33 lb) of explosives. According to the initial investigation, the bombers' intent was to collapse the building. The first bomber entered Khanzada's home office, shook his hand and detonated the device while standing next to one of the pillars on the veranda. It is believed a second bomber, standing on the street next to the building, then detonated his explosives, causing the building to collapse when the roof of the house caved in, trapping an unknown number of people under the rubble.
Investigation
According to a preliminary investigation, the attack may have been retaliation for the killing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant leader Malik Ishaq by the Punjab Police. The attack was strongly condemned throughout the country, including by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Shareef.
International reactions
The attack has been condemned by international leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who called for justice against those who planned the attack.
The United States also condemned the attack and offered to assist with the investigation. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad issued a statement, saying, “We support Pakistan’s determination to bring to justice those behind the attack and are prepared to provide assistance, if requested, to government authorities investigating this reprehensible act.”