Pakistan Taliban attacks

This item appears on page 17 of the August 2014 issue.

Near Karachi on June 8, Taliban militants armed with guns and explosive vests attacked Pakistan’s largest airport, Jinnah International, targeting a terminal used for cargo and special operations. At least 34 people were killed in the attack, including all 10 militants, three from having detonated their vests. The airport reopened after security forces regained control.

A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban said that, in revenge for the killing of their leader in 2013, they had intended to hijack an airplane.

On June 10, Taliban militants attacked a security training facility near the airport. No one was killed.

One passenger was killed when a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft was shot at while landing at Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar on June 24. In response, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways suspended all flights into Peshawar, and Cathay Pacific suspended all flights into Pakistan.

Pakistan responded with military action against the Taliban in the North Waziristan region in northwestern Pakistan. Air strikes following the airport attacks have killed 370 suspected militants. Pakistan launched a ground offensive against the Taliban on June 30.