At Least 35 Killed in Pakistan Bank Bombing

Most Rawalpindi Victims Were Troops

A suicide bomber struck outside a major bank in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi, killing at least 35 and injuring dozens of others who were standing in line outside the bank.

The bank was located next to the Pakistani Army’s main headquarters, and the line was almost exclusively government employees since they are paid on the first of the month. It is being reported that most of the victims were members of the military.

Following the attack, the Pakistani government has announced a new series of bounties for the capture or killing of top members of the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which the government has been fighting in South Waziristan and which likely carried out today’s attack.

The TTP attacked the army headquarters in Rawalpindi only last month, killing at least 20 people and sparking a day-long siege against military forces. The city is essentially a suburb of Islamabad and its economy is chiefly based around it being a military hub, housing both Pakistan’s Army and Air Force headquarters.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.