By Khalid Khan

The year 2004 has witnessed widespread terrorism around the globe that killed significant proportion of civilian population and law enforcing personal alike. Meanwhile, hunt for terrorist networks also continued with zeal and pledges that led to the arrests, elimination and busting of terror-gangs. A number of accords were signed among the nations and legislation observed momentum to nail and nab potential terror sponsoring entities and organs that inflicted huge losses on civilised world and added to fears and phobias.

Spain recorded the worst ever-terrorist rampage when a series of explosions ripped through four commuter trains in rush hours that killed 190 people and injured 1,247,on March 11, 2004. The Madrid slaughter sent shock waves throughout the world while recalling the deadliest attack of 9/11 on trade towers that altered the geo-political map of modern world. According to Reuters a statement attribute to Al Qaeda that was sent to a London-based daily Al-Quds Al-Arabia claimed the responsibility for the bombings in Madrid and a suicide attack in Istanbul two days earlier to the Madrid tragedy. Near the scene of bombing, a tape in Arabic language and seven detonators were found in an abandoned van that further confirms Al Qaeda's involvement in the incident, said Spain's interior minister Angel Acebes as quoted by the agency. However, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar blamed the Basque separatist group ETA for the terror attacks that has been daubed as Europe's 9/11 by media.

Moscow also suffered heavily and remained a focal point of terrorist attacks in the concluded calendar year of 2004. A heavily armed gang seized up to 400 hostages at a Russian school near Chechnya on the first day of September. School siege ended in carnage when more than 300 people - most of them children, were killed and hundreds wounded when the special forces personnel attempted to liberate the hostages from the militants that kept them in ordeal for as long as 53 hours. Russia blamed Chechens while Chechen separatist spokesman Akhmed Zakayev denied the allegation adding that the hostage-takers were Ingush, Ossetians and Russians.
A week earlier, hijacking and blowing up of two passenger jetliners was another major terrorist offence that jolted Russia. The incidents killed as many as 94 people. A day before school rocking, a female suicide bomber blew herself up in a central Moscow in an attack that killed 10 and injured 50. In a surprise move, Russia also called for a UN Security Council meeting on "terror acts" in the county.

Riyadh also directly felt the brunt of terror when US consulate in Jeddah was stormed in December killing 12 people. Later on, security forces regained the control. This was the first ever assault against a Western diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia.
Egypt also tasted first terrorist strike in seven years when three car bombs exploded, killing 34 people ruthlessly. One explosion hit Taba Hilton just south of the Egypt-Israel border and two at a town of beach bungalows, Ras Shitan, 35 miles to the south on the Red Sea coast. Israel blamed Al Qaeda for the attacks.

Australia's embassy in Jakarta was also targeted in September, which killed nine people, including a suicide bomber while injuring another over 160 people. Al-Qaeda was blamed for the high profile attack.

The August rally of Bangladesh's leader of the opposition and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid was attacked with a series of lethal hand grenades that killed 19 people and injured more than 300. Hasina Wajid took to the task Islamic hard liner coalition and charged it for turning Bangladesh into a terrorist state.

At home front terrorist remained busy through out 2004. The terrorists attacked the incumbent Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during his one of by-election public meetings in Fateh Jang. Eight persons, including the driver and gunman of Shaukat Aziz died and several injured. Al-Qaeda operatives claimed the responsibility and law enforcing agencies picked up 12 persons for investigations.

In different parts of Punjab 70 people died and 134 others injured in various terrorists act. Investigators rounded up 46 suspected terrorists out of which 7 suspected terrorists were of foreign origins. Two terrorists died in suicide bombing while one was killed in police custody. Two police corps also lost lives in terrorists attacks. In one terrorist attack Jamia Masjid Kashmirian Mochi gate Lahore was targeted and the suicide bomber killed 4 people and injured another 10. In another incident in Rawalpindi, a suicide bomber while blowing himself up wounded another 4 worshipers.
Army called up when violence erupted in Sialkot following a deadly terrorist attack on a mosque in which 25 people killed while over 50 others injured. Former deputy speaker Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was also included among the victims who came to offer Friday special prayer. But the massive car bomb blast that killed 39 and injured over 70 at Multan jolted the Punjab administration adversely. A powerful car bomb exploded near a place where people gathered to commemorate the first death of Maulana Azam Tariq.

The province of Baluchistan turned a high-risk zone for law-enforcing agencies where men in uniform remained the main target of terrorist alongside civilian population. Terrorists targeted government installations and buildings that exposed another face of terrorism in Pakistan's history.

In sporadic incidents of terrorism 31 people died while another 50 person sustained injuries. Among the dead was also 14 security personal that included 7 Army men, 4 Frontier constabulary personal and 3 police corps. A terrorist attack also killed 3 Chinese engineers in a mine blast. Naib Nazim Kohlu district, Chengaz Marri was also killed. The government installations and building that came under rocket attacks include FC check point Dera Bugti, Mirani dam site, FC headquarters, Sui airport buildings and FC team check point, Mund tehsil, Kechi district. Sui Township, Somiani costal town and Kohlu Township also came under rocket attacks. In Khuzdar 5 army men were killed while 4 FC personal were murdered near Sui. Eight bomb blasts also rock Quetta.

Terrorism also over shadowed Islamabad where an explosion occurred at Marriot hotel injuring 7 people including an American diplomat. Authorities insisted on short-circuiting as the major cause for the incident whereas Abdullah Mehsud claimed responsibility, saying " now we will spread out and carry out similar attacks wherever possible." It is said that at the time of explosion, US and Japanese defense and intelligence officials were staying in the hotel.

NWFP comparatively remained peaceful, except a few exceptions. A bomb blast occurred in a Mingora cinema and a bank robbery was committed by a terrorist network.