Suicide Terrorism - Articles

In the year 2006, four countries in the South Asian region witnessed more suicide attacks than anywhere in the world, next to Iraq. Compared to the previous year, the rate of suicide attacks significantly increased particularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan. While incidents in India were relatively few, suicide bombings have once again increased in Sri Lanka. The emerging trend threatens the security situation of this volatile region.

The current resurgence of violence, and the increasing number of suicide attacks in Afghanistan indicate that the Taliban and Al Qaeda are staging a comeback with the grand design of destabilizing the country. They believe that suicide attacks would thwart the attempts of the international mission in Afghanistan, and increase the level of insecurity among the Afghan population. According to NATO sources, over 90 suicide attacks have been reported in the country, mainly targeting international coalition forces and diplomats. The total number of such attacks and casualties has quadrupled since 2001, while only one incident each was reported in 2001 and 2002, two attacks in 2003, six in 2004, and 21 in 2005. It appears that the Taliban forces have been importing the modus operandi of international Al Qaeda jihadis from Iraq, providing immense visibility for each attack in the national and international media.

The ongoing trend clearly represents a major shift in tactics by the Taliban, from fighting in the rugged hinterland to extending the violence to the urban areas, especially in the capital Kabul and the southern Afghan cities such as Kandahar, Uruzgan, Helmand, Khost, Paktia and Paktika. Unlike Iraqi terrorists, the Taliban have largely relied on the human-borne improvised explosive devices (IEDs) rather than vehicle-borne suicide IEDs, because of the greater probability of inflicting casualties with minimal resources, and of escape from strenuous security checks. Most of these suicide bombers have been reportedly increasingly recruited from madrassas inside Pakistan. Although the Pakistan government categorically refuted this contention, the empirical records of arrests of Pakistani nationals, and the coalition forces' intelligence sources, establish their involvement in suicide bombing incidents. The Taliban, who have vowed to overthrow the incumbent Karzai government and drive out the foreign troops that support it, have enormous sympathy among their Pashtun ethnic kinsfolk who straddle border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Taliban is reportedly gearing up for a massive summer offensive, with more than 2,000 suicide bomber ready for action. The situation would thus be more challenging in 2007. Importantly, the Afghan government must enhance the capacity of its intelligence services to disrupt the suicide attack support network and here Pakistan's assistance is urgently required. This can be achieved only if both countries keep their self-interest and political differences separate from their strategic security affairs. Further, the Afghan national security guards should be provided specific training on threat assessment for suicide attacks in order to be able to handle the threat efficiently. Most importantly, the Afghan Ulema, or council of religious leaders, needs to continue playing a major role in countering the extremist ideology of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Considering the difficulties of and time required for implementing these measures, Afghanistan will certainly not be free from violence for several years more.

In Pakistan, there were two suicide bombing incidents in sectarian clashes between the Shias and Sunnis on 9 February in Hangu town of NWFP, and on 11 April in Karachi. These resulted in the death of over a hundred people, leaving numerous others injured. Further, nine more attacks were carried out against the Pakistani and international security forces, and diplomats predominantly in North Waziristan and Karachi. Suicide car bombs were used in many of these attacks, especially against moving security forces convoys.

In 2006, India, however had suffered only four suicide attacks compared to ten in 2005. Importantly, Kashmir alone has suffered in these attacks, though the terrorists did not use car bombs in any of the incidents. The suicide bombers targeted security forces in three incidents, while the remaining target was a Congress party rally which killed seven and injured over 30 civilians on 21 May. The Lashkar-e-Toiba and Al Mansoorian claimed joint responsibility for the rally bombing. In addition, Al Mansoorian's was found to be involved in at least five suicide bombing incidents in 2005.

The deteriorating political situation in Sri Lanka, and the collapse of peace talks have once again unleashed suicide attacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LLTE). The LTTE's Sea Tigers suicide squad carried out at least seven attacks out of its 11 suicide attacks in 2006. Four attacks between September and November caused severe damages in terms of casualties and materials on both sides. In four separate attacks, suicide bombers killed the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, Major General Parami Kulathunge and injured the Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, the Pakistan High Commissioner Bashir Wali Mohammad, and the Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in the capital Colombo. Ever since they signed the ceasefire agreement with the Sri Lankan Government in 2001, the LTTE had used suicide terror only once on 7 July 2004 Renewed suicide attack tactics in the country undoubtedly threaten positive means to end the three decade-old bloody ethnic conflict but, a continuous engagement with the LTTE in the peace talks could deter them using these dangerous methods.