2017 Sehwan suicide bombing

2017 Sehwan suicide bombing
Part of Terrorism in Pakistan
An interior view of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar's shrine in 2014.
Sehwan Sehwan (Sindh) Show map of Sindh Sehwan Sehwan (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan
Location	Sehwan Sharif, Sindh, Pakistan
Date	16 February 2017
Target	Sufi pilgrims
Attack type	Suicide bombing
Weapons	Suicide jacket,grenade
Deaths	91 (+1 bomber)
Non-fatal injuries	300+
Assailants	1 suicide bomber
Suspected perpetrators	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province

On 16 February 2017, a suicide bombing took place inside the Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan, Sindh, Pakistan, where pilgrims were performing a Sufi ritual after the evening prayers. At least 90 people were killed and over 300 injured.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the bombing. Services at the shrine were resumed the next day in an act of defiance against terrorists, while leading Pakistani performers partook in Sufi-dancing at the shrine a few days later as a protest against the radical Islamist perpetrators.

The attack followed a series of terrorist incidents earlier in the month, including a suicide attack in Lahore. Pakistani authorities alleged that the attacks were orchestrated by jihadists in Afghanistan.

The suicide bomber struck the pilgrims during a dhamaal (ritual dance) after the evening prayers. The perpetrator blew himself up inside the shrine hall under the dome, near its Golden Gate. The bomber also threw a grenade which failed to explode. The bomber, believed to be an Afghan national, had bypassed the security check at the shrine.

At least 21 children were believed to be among the dead. The bomber used a suicide jacket, with the ball bearings in the jacket acting as shrapnel and causing casualties.

The injured and deceased were immediately shifted to the Taluka Medical Hospital which was not equipped with a trauma centre to deal with emergency cases. The medical facilities in Sehwan were basic, and some of the injured were in critical condition. A state of emergency was declared for all hospitals in the neighbouring areas.Pakistan Navy helicopters and a Pakistan Air Force C-130 were dispatched for rescue operations.