How to survive a suicide attack in Pakistan?

[Kursed]

I've been combing through some Israeli websites in order to conjure up points that can make up as an amateur guide towards surviving and dealing with suicide attacks, that are a 'reality' in our every day life.

Following is what I could think of, all of you are more than welcome to pitch in with your points. This could, some day, save someone's life.

1. Who is a suicide bomber?
As of now, there are three sorts of suicide bombings taking place in Pakistan.

a. Sectarian
b. FATA militants
c. Foreign backed militants with interests different than those in our tribal areas - but with the same area of origin.


2. Top Targets

a. Security Personnel
b. Military / Police / Security / Intelligence related installations [do keep in mind, that these might include buildings which we - civilians - otherwise might not know are being used for such purposes]
c. Mosques with declared sectarian affiliations.
d. Army-Navy-Air Force Schools / Colleges / Universities
e. Hospitals

3. How do suicide bombers attack?

A suicide bomber will typically place himself and his deadly payload wherever he thinks he will kill the most people.

A single suicide bomber can carry enough explosive on his body to kill or gravely wound everyone in a mosque or checkpoint or group of people. In addition to the explosives, they're usually wearing ball bearings, shotgun pellets or sharpenels of other sort - in order to increase their kill range which usually ranges from about 50-100 feet depending upon the type of explosive and pellets used. The range at which the pellets might injure you is far higher than that; from 200 - 400 feet.


4. Deterrence

Though suicide bombers can be deadly, we cannot be scared away from crowded, public areas. In a high-risk area, you can take four easy steps to increase your chances of survival:

a. Avoid the bomber’s likely target spots:

As described above, a suicide bomber will most likely strike a crowded public area like a market, hospital, mosque, train station or a mall at the place with the densest concentration of people, particularly if the crowd is close to an entrance or exit. If leaving or entering a crowded building, let crowds dissipate before you approach.


b. Protect yourself from an explosion:

Most injuries from a bomb blast are caused by a pressure wave. The power of this wave decreases exponentially with distance: just a few feet from the suicide bomber’s target—most likely a crowd or an entrance—can make a fateful difference.

Use built-in “shields” and avoid built-in projectiles. In a high-risk area, try to position yourself so that obstructions like support columns or kiosks are between you and the suicide bomber’s likely target (the largest crowd or the entrance.) These objects deflect flying shrapnel and a bomb’s deadly pressure wave. Conversely, try to position yourself away from large expanses of glass– as flying glass is a serious threat.

Don’t stand within an arm’s length of walls. Flying shrapnel and a bomb’s pressure-blast do not deflect off walls at sharp angles like a tennis ball. Instead, they travel along walls like a wave. When a bomb explodes, pressure will gather along the walls with magnified force and ‘roll’ along the wall. If you are in a potential target area, try not to stand within an arm’s length of walls. An explosion could contain or generate projectiles, and walls could deflect these mini-missiles in your direction.


4. How to identify a suicide bomber
An overwhelming majority of suicide bombers conducting such acts in Pakistan are extremely young. Their average age is between 15 to 22 year olds.

a. A bomber carrying explosives on his body will require a jacket or bulky shirt for disguise and may appear artificially overweight. Be suspicious if you see someone wearing a winter jacket on a hot day. A bomber could also carry explosives in a bag or suitcase, and will often clutch it to his or her chests just before detonation. G

Given the fact that Pakistanis wear shalwar kamez - which is baggy in nature. It might make it a tad difficult for you to actually identify a suicide bomber at first glance. But be vigilant - keep your eyes open - and watch out for even a shred of a clue that might point to such a person. A marked difference between body weight and facial features might point to the person deliberately wearing an over sized qameez.


Do keep in mind that these days, suicide bombers in Pakistan have started exchanging suicide vests for suicide underwear [the bomber involved in the recent bombing in Lahore, was wearing explosives on his groin - lower abdomen]



b. Many suicide bombers work in teams of two. On final approach to the target site, the bomber will be accompanied by another terrorist to give the bomber mental support and help him or her pick the actual target spot. The partner will leave before the detonation.

In video review of Israeli suicide bombings, a large percentage of the bombers appeared to be apprehensive and agitated as they neared detonation. Many were sweaty and moving furtively.

Bombers in Israel have begun sewing explosives into their jackets. Therefore a suicide bomber may wear a jacket that appears to have unusual stitching or cinching.

Evidence of wires or electric switches connected to (our hanging from) clothes or packages is reason to evacuate immediately and contact authorities.


5. Disarm / Disable a suicide bomber

It is not unrealistic to assume civilians will be faced with the specter of stopping and disarming a suicide-terrorist.

Now it might sound heroic but if there is no way out of the situation [with a 50-200 feet kill range, this might be your only chance at surviving] - though you will be putting your life at risk - what better way can there be then by saving some lives?

If you are confronted with someone who appears to be a suicide bomber, your goal should be to prevent him/her from entering a target area containing a large group of people. Your first concern should be to isolate and control the bomber’s hands. .

Originally Posted by DarthVader

- Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT grab a suicide bomber by his legs from behind to make him raise his hands if they're wearing the explosives on their body. Look before you leap. It might work if they have a suitcase. The triggering mechanism used in the explosive vests of TTP are infact triggered when the bomber raises their hands (so don't say "hands up!" with a pointed gun either unless you have a microphone and are 400 feet away with the bomber stopped in an isolated place). If you're unarmed, agile and actually so heroic, your best bet is to hug the bomber with both their hands inside the tightest embrace of your life -- do not let him raise his hands. But look before you leap, there might be a second trigger and the bomber will try to reach for it. The bomber will also be probably armed with a pistol. But rest assured that if the bomb goes off, you won't feel a thing and there's no better, painless or heroic way. To top everything off, you'll gain martyrdom and live forever.

If you're a security personnel (and carry a gun) the sure-shot method is to aim for their spine right in the center and behind their necks. If you have a small caliber handgun or bad aim the second best is to shoot them in the head. But someone shot in the head, unlike in movies, does not guarantee that they will then drop dead or stop in their tracks, they might not be neutralized (enough) and might trigger the explosives, even if there is a low possibility for that. Rarely, when a combatant receives a proper gunshot wound in the head, they are still able to take a few more steps before they collapse, for instance, probably because their brain has already transmitted the next signal downwards through the spinal cord. Therefore, severing the spinal cord is the best albeit more difficult method.

- If you have to secure a mosque against a suicide bomber, for example, use those walk-through type metal detector machines in conjunction with severely restricting a length of their approach path with portable barricades or walls to it so they both have to slow down and so they can't bye-pass the detector in the only path ahead.

- The best weapon against such attacks is intelligence gathering through scouting around the area and early warning. This can be perfectly used in conjunction with a well located marksman guard or a "sniper" who should be able to take out the bomber from afar after confirmation of the danger. In such a situation, the best thing to do is have the lie down on their stomachs and not move until bomb disposal or a counter insurgency team arrives. This is unlikely to happen though, because they're brain washed fanatics and if they take one step or hesitate for more than a few seconds, they should be shot for best results.

- Static defense posts, at entry points of the secured perimeter, should be well armored with sand bags. This is the place to set up your automatic or heavier weapons equipped squad members for suppressive fire. When these people are determined, as we know, they don't only wear suicide vests but also they come armed with small arms and hand grenades too, in order to create a gap in your defences so they can reach the targets inside.

If you have disarmed a suicide bomber, or ever come upon an explosive, never touch the bomb or attempt to move it. Bombs can be built to self-detonate if moved. Instantly evacuate the area and leave the explosives for the bomb squad.


6. SURVIVE

After a suicide bomber has struck, what do you do to ensure your safety? Here are the two steps to ensure that you rapidly make the right decisions.

a. First

If a bomb explodes, immediately expect another. Get as low as possible to avoid debris and smoke, and seek shelter. Get yourself and anyone you can to an exit and get out.

b. Second

Beware of building collapse. Once you have made it out of the area, get away from any structures that could collapse from the first blast, or any other bombings that could follow.


7. If you are injured, covered in debris or hidden from sight:

a. If you can elevate bleeding limbs above your heart or compress the bleeding, do so. Otherwise, move as little as possible to prevent further injury and to avoid kicking up dust, which can hinder breathing.

b. If you are covered or out of view, try to remain calm. Struggling may aggravate your injuries. Unless you must, do not waste energy yelling, because this may cause you to inhale harmful dust and vapors. Instead, clap or tap on something.

[paranoid android]

Good work. I'm going to get print outs and distribute them in my nieghbourhood.

[AhmedKhan]

As depressing as it may be but extremely helpful. I was thinking about making a thread where I would request such information.

Thanks a lot, very informative. Equally depressing that we have to actually read this.

[kashi]

O_O two thumbs up (Y)(Y)

[Kursed]

Please spread the information around - it might help save some lives.

[ScArFaCe]

excellent job kursed! ... ill tk print outs too and distribute nice work

[Doomer D. Great]

Magnificent contribution KuRsEd. May Allah protect us from such situation but if we are to face such dreadful situation, remembering a few pointers from here might mean the difference between life and death.

[nofel]

goodwork
reminds me last yr i had long hair and u can see my pic " real pic thread " i was taken out of car and checked by police on airport and courts :@

[Digital Jedi]

Originally Posted by KuRsEd

The Israeli defense services have discovered an effective method to disarm a suicide bomber if—as a last ditch effort—they must physically grapple with one. If your legs are pulled from under you from behind, it is a human reflex to push your arms forward to break your fall. A suicide bomber generally needs to use his hands to detonate his explosive. If he is pulled to the floor from behind, his hands are likely to be momentarily removed from his triggering devices.

I saw this part in some program on tv. Try finding a video of this demonstration, this would help further

[Ikram45]

Good Job Kursed. Really helpful Post, I might also consider taking Print-out's of this and distributing them.

[Gladiator]

No offence but reading ur survival tactics was actually more depressing for me than anything else.
all we care about is our own lifes. i can bet if these suicide bombings were not affecting our lives we wouldn't give a shit about other ppl's problems.

anyways ur guide at that very instant will be just futile, becuase in situations like those, a person loses his senses.

there is a hadith in bokhari that says whne there is alot of bloodshed in a country ppl should excessively renounce their sins and ask for forgiveness from ALLAH for their sins that has bought about that bloodshed onto them. perhaps that would be a better way.

[Kursed]

What I've written above, involves acts that precede a suicide bombing attack and not just after it. That said, I don't see how we can't both 'pray' and actually take practical steps to at least 'try' ensuring our safety to an extent.

Anyhow, I'm sure that people here will find your comments extremely useful and therefore thank you for your input.

[Digital Jedi]

anyways ur guide at that very instant will be just futile, becuase in situations like those, a person loses his senses.

This is the difference between the one who survives and the one who doesn't. Great work KuRsEd, it may prove really helpful for the people someday.

[muhuee]

Oh my god....

[Gladiator]

Originally Posted by KuRsEd

What I've written above, involves acts that precede a suicide bombing attack and not just after it. That said, I don't see how we can't both 'pray' and actually take practical steps to at least 'try' ensuring our safety to an extent.

Anyhow, I'm sure that people here will find your comments extremely useful and therefore thank you for your input.

when the situation has been deteriorated by morals and characters , then there is pretty much nothing ur "practical steps mentioned in ur guide" can do, cos the medicine is not correlated wid the disease.
thsose wid open hearts and critical minds will indeed find my comments extremly useful.