Unsolved case
August 2013 Quetta bombing
A suicide bomber killed as many as 37 people and injured over 50 at a police officer's funeral in Quetta, Pakistan, on 8 August 2013. No group claimed responsibility, though the Taliban were suspected.

On 8 August 2013, a suicide attacker detonated a bomb at a funeral being held for a police officer in Quetta, Pakistan. The attack killed as many as thirty-seven people and injured more than fifty others. The funeral gathering, attended by mourners including police personnel, was targeted in what was one of a series of attacks affecting Quetta and Balochistan province during this period.
According to available reporting, a senior police officer named Fayaz Sumbal noticed the suicide bomber prior to the detonation. As Fayaz began to search the bomber's body, the attacker detonated the device. The bomb was reportedly concealed in a jacket packed with ball bearings and shrapnel, materials commonly used in such devices to maximize casualties and injuries among those in close proximity.
No group formally claimed responsibility for the bombing. However, it is believed that the Taliban were behind the attack, consistent with a pattern of militant violence in the region during this era. The attack occurred amid a broader context of terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2013, including other bombings and shootings in Quetta, such as a shooting on 9 August 2013 that followed shortly after this bombing.
The event is documented as part of a wider set of "Quetta attacks," a designation used to group multiple violent incidents that have occurred in the city.
Key facts
- Victims
- On file
- Date
- 2013
- Location
- Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
- Case status
- unsolved
Case timeline
2013-08-08
A suicide bomber detonated a device at a funeral for a police officer in Quetta, Pakistan, killing as many as 37 people and injuring over 50.
Best coverage
No coverage has been attached to this file yet.
People
Fayaz Sumbal
LAW ENFORCEMENTSenior police officer who noticed the suicide bomber before detonation and began searching the bomber's body when the device was detonated
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- A suicide bomber killed as many as 37 people and injured over 50 at a police officer's funeral in Quetta, Pakistan, on 8 August 2013. No group claimed responsibility, though the Taliban were suspected.
- Where did the bombing happen?
- Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: unsolved.
Sources
- ENCYCLOPEDICAugust 2013 Quetta bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — aljazeera.comaljazeera.com · 2026-07-07
Record history
- First published
- JUL 07, 2026
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