2011 Hazara Town shooting


2011 Hazara Town shooting refers to a massacre of Hazara people on May 6, 2011 in Hazara Town, Quetta, Pakistan which left 8 dead and at least 15 wounded. The shooting took place early in the morning around 0630 hrs Pakistan Standard Time in a park when people were doing morning-exercises, playing cricket and football. Three rockets were fired which was followed by heavy gunfire. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack.

Background

Hazara Town is one of the Hazara populated neighborhoods of southwestern city of Quetta in Pakistani province of Balochistan. The Hazaras are mainly Shia Muslims and their neighborhood is surrounded by other ethnic groups of Sunni sect, Balochs and Pashtuns.

Shooting

The attack took place in an open field park adjacent to Hazara cemetery by Bypass Road. At least 10 armed men with two rocket launchers and automatic assault rifles on three vehicles entered from Brewery Road, took positions on Bypass Road and started shooting. At least three rockets were fired which were followed by heavy gunfire. The shooting last 17 minutes then assailants fled toward the Shalkot area after carrying out the attack. At the end of the day, the shooting left 8 dead and 15 injured.

Perpetrators

The banned Pakistani Sunni extremist militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attacks in Hazara Town. LeJ specifically talks about Hazara Town shooting in one of their night letters distributed in Quetta by LeJ Balochistan Unit. It is believed that it was one the attacks in revenge of the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Response

The protesters blocked the bypass road and demanded the arrest of the assailants.
The US Embassy in Islamabad also issued a statement condemning the killings:
The Pakistani political parties Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Tehreek Insaf condemned the killings and demanded the arrest of perpetrators from Government of Pakistan.