In 2008, Pakistan saw 40 terrorist attacks, which caused 154 fatalities and 256 injuries.
January 10 January:- 24 people were killed and 73 injured in a suicide attack when the policemen were deliberately targeted outside Lahore High Court before the scheduled lawyer's protest against the government in Punjab's capital, Lahore. This attack was first of its kind in Lahore since the start of the war on terror.Suicide attack on police mows down 24 in Lahore Dawn, 11 January 2008 14 January:- At least 10 people were killed and over 50 wounded when a bomb exploded in Quaidabad, Punjab. The bomb was planted on a bicycle and it went off during the early hours in a vegetable market in Karachi, Sindh.Ten killed in Karachi blast Daily Times, 18 January 2008 17 January:- At least 12 people were killed and 25 others injured, three of them critically, when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the crowded Mirza Qasim Baig Imambargah in Mohalla Janghi, Kohati, in North-West Frontier Province's capital city Peshawar.Teenage bomber wreaks havoc in Peshawar: 12 worshippers dead, 25 injured Dawn, 15 January 2008
February 4 February:- At least 10 people were killed and 27 others injured, when a suicide bomber crashed his bike into an armed forces bus carrying students and officials of Army Medical College, near the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Punjab. This became the eleventh attack on the army, the fourth in Rawalpindi near GHQ, and first of its kind on medical students.10 killed, 27 hurt as bomber strikes army bus Daily Times, 5 February 2008 9 February:- At least 25 people died and 35 were injured after a powerful explosion hit an opposition election rally in Charsadda, NWFP. The attack targeted ANP, a secular party, one of whose leaders, Fazal-ur-Rehman Atakhail, was assassinated 7 February in Karachi, triggering widespread protests. Possible conspirators of the latest attack could be the Islamist Taliban-al-Qaeda nexus operating in NWFP.25 killed in suicide attack on ANP rally in Charsadda Daily Times, 10 February 2008
11 February:- A suicide attack on a public meeting in Miranshah, North Waziristan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, left at least eight people dead and a dozen wounded, including a candidate for the National Assembly. It was the second attack on ANP's election gathering in two days.Eight dead in suicide attack on ANP rally Daily Times, 12 February 2008 16 February:- A suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle on the election meeting of Pakistan Peoples Party, the party of the slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Parachinar, Kurram Agency, FATA. The attack left at least 47 people dead and 150 injured according to the Interior Ministry. It was the fourth such attack on PPP's political workers within a year; two of them targeting the former PPP leader Benazir Bhutto.Blast toll reaches 47: Polls postponed in Parachinar Daily Times, 17 February 2008
18 February:- At least 24 people were killed and nearly 200 were injured in election-related violence across the country on the eve of general election, Aaj TV reported.24 killed in poll violence Daily Times, 19 February 2008 22 February:- A roadside bomb near the town of Matta, Swat District, NWFP, killed at least 13 members of a wedding party and left about a dozen injured. An army spokesman said the bomb had been detonated by remote control. Women and children were among the casualties.Bomb hits Pakistan wedding party BBC News, 22 February 2008 25 February:- The Army's top medic Lt Gen Mushtaq Baig was killed, along with the driver and security guard, when a suicide attack ripped apart the vehicle he was travelling in at 2:45pm local time near Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. At least 5 other passersby were also killed and 20 injured in the incident. Baig was the highest-ranking officer to be killed in Pakistan since the September 11 attacks. This attack was the twelfth such incidence against the Army and fifth one near GHQ.Pakistan army's top medic killed BBC News, 25 February 2008 29 February:- At least 38 people were killed and 75 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Mingora, Swat District, NWFP, during the funeral of a senior police officer who had been killed hours earlier in Lakki Marwat, NWFP. The police DSP was killed along with three other policemen when their vehicle was hit in a roadside bomb earlier in the day. Witnesses said the suicide attack took place when a police party was presenting a gun salute in honour of the slain police officer in a school ground in Mingora city at about 8 pm.Carnage at slain officer's funeral: DSP killed in Lakki Marwat blast; 38 die in Mingora suicide attack Dawn, 1 March 2008
March 2 March:- At least 42 people were killed and 58 injured in a suicide attack, when the bomber struck the meeting of tribal elders and local officials in Darra Adam Khel, FATA. The town of Darra was the center of violent clashes earlier in January when the militants took over the Kohat Tunnel that connected Peshawar with Kohat, NWFP. After the onslaught of security forces to take back the tunnel, the fighting resulted in the deaths of 13 troops and 70 militants.Tribal peace jirga attacked: 42 killed, 58 injured in Darra Adamkhel Dawn, 3 March 2008 4 March:- Eight persons were killed and 24 others injured when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the parking area of the Pakistan Navy War College located in the city of Lahore. It was the first time a Pakistani naval institution was targeted by the militants (the army has been targeted at least eight times outside the war zone and Air Force twice) since the ongoing war on terror in general and post-siege of Lal Masjid in particular. The college attack was carried out by two suicide attackers, the first one to clear the way for the second one; and the second one to do the damage.Double suicide blasts claim eight lives in Lahore The News, 5 March 2008 11 March:- At least 24 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in twin suicide bombings in Lahore. One of the attacks ripped apart Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) building killing 21, including 16 policemen. The other one hit the upmarket locality of Model Town, exploding close to Bilawal House, associated with PPP leaders Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari.Walsh, Declan. '24 killed in twin Lahore suicide blasts' The Guardian, 11 March 2008 15 March:- An attack occurred when a bomb was hurled over a wall surrounding an Islamabad restaurant. Four of the 12 people wounded in the bombing were U.S. FBI agents. In addition to wounding the agents, the explosion killed a Turkish woman and wounded a fifth American, three Pakistanis, a person from the United Kingdom and another from Japan.'Four FBI agents hurt in Pakistan bombing' CNN, 17 March 2008
April 9 April:- Riots in Karachi kill 9 people and wound many others with 40 vehicles getting torched after two groups of lawyers scuffle that begin after PML-Q leaders, former CM Sindh Arbab Ghulam Rahim and former federal minister Sher Afgan Niazi are maltreated ahead of government formation in the provinces of Sindh and Punjab.'Lawyers clash, riots kill 9 in Karachi' Daily Times, 10 April 2008 17 April:- At least 20 people were killed and dozens others injured in the clashes between two belligerent factions in Khyber District, FATA."20 dead in Khyber Agency clashes" The News, 17 April 2008
May 6 May:- At least four people killed in a suspected suicide attack in Bannu, NWFP, amid signs the truce with militants was breaking down, negotiations for which started in March."Attacks test Pakistan ceasefire" BBC News, 6 May 2008 18 May:- A bomb attack targeting the Army's Punjab Regimental Center market in the city of Mardan, NWFP, killed at least 13 people, including four soldiers and injured more than 20. This was the second attack in Mardan in a month after a car bombing on 25 April killed three and injured 26 people. This attack was the thirteenth one on the army since the start of military operations."Deadly blast hits Pakistani town" BBC News, 18 May 2008 19 May:- At least four people were killed and another two injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast outside a mosque in the Mamund Tehsil of Bajaur Agency."Three killed, two injured in Bajaur blast" Daily Times, 20 May 2008 26 May:- Seven people were killed and five others injured in what appeared to be incidents of sectarian violence in Dera Ismail Khan, NWFP."Seven killed in D.I. Khan" Dawn, 27 May 2008
June 2 June:- The Danish embassy in Islamabad was attacked with a car bomb, killing six people. A post purportedly from al-Qaeda's Mustafa Abu al-Yazid appeared on the Internet a day after the attack claiming responsibility. The statement mentions the publication of "insulting drawings" and the refusal to "apologise for publishing them" referring to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy."'Al-Qaeda' claims Pakistan attack", BBC News, 5 June 2008
9 June:- Sufi Muhammad, leader of the TNSM, survived a remote-controlled bombing initiated by local Taliban in Peshawar, in which four policemen were injured."Sufi Muhammad survives bombing" Daily Times, 10 June 2008 16 June:- A bomb blast inside a Shia mosque killed at least four people and wounded two others in Dera Ismail Khan."4 killed in blast outside DIK Shia mosque" Daily Times, 17 June 2008
July 6 July:- A suicide bomber killed 19 people in an attack targeting policemen deployed at a rally observing the first anniversary of an army raid on the Islamabad's Lal Masjid."15 policemen deployed at anniversary rally among 19 dead in Islamabad suicide attack: Lal Masjid horror revisited" Daily Times, 7 July 2008
7 July:- A string of small explosions, apparently from bombs, wounded at least 37 people in Karachi, rattling Pakistan a day after a deadly suicide attack in capital of Pakistan."37 Wounded by Series of Blasts in Pakistan" The New York Times, 8 July 2008 2 August:- At least eight police and security workers were killed when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near their vehicle in Mingora, Swat."Bomb kills eight policemen in Swat" Daily Times, 3 August 2008 31 July – 4 August:- A total of 136 people were killed in Swat Valley in a week of fighting between the security forces and pro-Taliban militants. The casualties included at least 94 militants, 14 soldiers and around 28 civilians."Pakistan clashes take heavy toll" BBC News, 4 August 2008
August 9 August:- Militants stormed a police post in the village of Kingargalai of the Buner District, killing eight policemen.Abidur Rehman "8 policemen killed in attack on post" Dawn, 10 August 2008 12 August:- A bomb targeting a Air Force bus carrying personnel from a military base killed 13 people and wounded 11 others on Tuesday on a major road near the center of Peshawar. Taliban forces reportedly took responsibility. The attack was seen as retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes in Bajaur Agency, a militant stronghold near the border with Afghanistan. Five of the dead were air force personnel and the eight others were bystanders.Jane Parlez. "14 Killed in Attack on Pakistani Air Force Bus " The New York Times, 12 August 2008