Shabqadar, Pakistan – May 13, 2011

Revenge?

Two motorcycle riding suicide bombers detonated a bomb killing 80 people in the city of Shabqadar in Northwest Pakistan. The Taliban made a statement that the bombing was in retaliation for bin Laden’s death.

The bombing took place by the gates of the Frontier Constabulary academy in Charssada district just after dawn. There were a total of two explosions, which have led officials to believe this was a double suicide. Of the reported deaths, 66 of them were recruits of the academy. 120 people were wounded according to police reports. Twelve vehicles were destroyed and twenty shops were damaged because of the blast.

photo:AP/Mohammad Zubair

People were beginning their weekend and young men from the academy had been on their way to see their families after spending nearly six months in training, there were about 900 of them. According to an Associated Press report, 21 year old Rehmanullah Khan said, “We were heading toward a van when the first blast took place and we fell on the ground and then there was another blast,” he continued, “We enjoyed our time together, all the good and bad weather and I cannot forget the cries of my friends before they died.”

The bombs used by were in the form of explosive vests, standard issue for jihadists, which contained nails and ball bearings. One of the bombers was identified to be in his early 20s. They have not been identified. The bombs went off within seconds of each other; one was set off as people were loading up the commuter vans with their personal belongings.

According to a Taliban spokesman, this attack is a punishment on Pakistan for their failure to protect Bin Laden.