Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said that the attack was revenge for the killing of jihad terrorists. Revenge attacks are hallowed by the Qur’an: “And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution. But whoever gives up his right as charity, it is an expiation for him. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” — Qur’an 5:45
Shahid also said: “Our defensive war will continue until an agreement is reached on a ceasefire.” In Islamic theology, jihad warfare is fard kifaya, an obligation of the community as a whole but not of every individual believer. Jihad becomes fard ayn, obligatory on every individual Muslim to aid in some way, when a Muslim land is attacked. Also, in Sunni Islam, only the caliph is authorized to declare offensive jihad, and there has been no caliph since 1924. But defensive jihad remains a universal obligation. Hence every jihad today has to be cast as defensive, including the TTP’s manifest aggression here.
“13 killed in Karachi bus blast; TTP claims responsibility,” from Dawn, February 13 (thanks to Kenneth):
KARACHI: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility Thursday for an explosion targeting a police bus near Razzaqabad police training college in Karachi’s Shah Latif Town in which 13 persons were killed and 47 others, including civilians, were wounded, DawnNews reported.
The attack came early in the morning. “Apparently an explosive-laden car hit the police bus transporting officials for security duty,” Muhammad Iqbal, a senior police official, told AFP.
Rescue teams reached the site of attack whereas the victims were shifted to Jinnah Hospital and a private hospital nearby in the locality.
Doctor Seemi Jamali at Karachi’s Jinnah hospital confirmed that there were at least 11 dead. At least 47 wounded officers were hospitalised, 10 of whom were in critical condition, she said.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was a revenge attack for killing militants.
He said TTP workers were victims to targeted killings in Mardan, Swabi and Peshawar, adding that the attack was in response to that.
“Our defensive war will continue until an agreement is reached on a ceasefire” between negotiation teams representing the government and the Taliban, he told AFP.
SSP Farooq Awan, who heads a special investigative unit, said the bus was making a U-turn after leaving a training centre when a small van struck it.
However a CID official refuted the claim that the bombing was carried out by a suicide attacker and said that no body parts were found from the site to support the notion. The official added that blast appeared to have been carried out using a remote-controlled detonator.
According to initial reports, 25 to 30 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack.
Police said that more than 50 officers were boarding the vehicle at the time of attack, which occurred in the eastern district of Karachi close to the national highway.
“Around 50-55 policemen were boarding the bus and going somewhere for duty from their training centre,” Iqbal said adding that police suspect it was a suicide attack….