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17 JANUARY BOMBING IN DOWNTOWN KARACHI

Date Reported: Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Incident Type: SECURITY
Country: KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Incident: On January 18, the U.S. Consulate in Karachi reported on the January 17 bombing. On Monday evening at 6:40 P.M., a bomb detonated in the Aram Bagh area of downtown Karachi, approximately four kilometers from the Consulate General, killed nine persons and wounded twenty-five. The bomb is estimated to have been one kilogram in size and created a crater eight feet across and almost three feet deep (the typical bombs recently witnessed have averaged only 200 grams). The explosive device was timer detonated, and the police claim the device was locally constructed. The explosive material is stated to have been dynamite. No fire came from the blast, just high-explosive brisance.

There does not seem to be any indication of anti-American sentiment attached to the bombing. The Government of Pakistan is currently assigning responsibility to terrorists of the Indian Government, but no evidence has been verified. The area of Aram Bagh is a predominantly Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) neighborhood. One other associated bit of rumor data is the alleging by local Karachiites that the bombing is a revenge action for the arrest of the Indian Consular Officer in Islamabad on January 15. The Consular Officer was in possession of an explosive device and a note directing him to deliver it to a specific location by a specific date.