Worst terrorist strikes--U.S. and worldwide

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 7 July 2008


Deadliest terrorist strikes in the United States

dateattack and locationfatalitiesinjuries
11 Sep 2001crashing of hijacked planes into World Trade Center, New York City, New York, Pentagon in Alexandria, Virginia, and site in Pennsylvania2,9938,900
19 Apr 1995truck bombing of federal building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma169675
16 Sep 1920bombing near bank in New York City, New York38300
1 Oct 1910bombing at newspaper building in Los Angeles, California2020
4 May 1886bombing and riot at Haymarket Square rally in Chicago, Illinois1260
29 Dec 1975bombing at airport in New York City, New York1175
22 Jul 1916bombing at parade in San Francisco, California1040
26 Feb 1993truck bombing of World Trade Center, New York City, New York61,040


Deadliest terrorist strikes, worldwide *

* Includes attacks resulting in at least 100 fatalities. Some sources do not consider all of these attacks to be terrorist attacks; for discussion see this page.

dateattack and locationfatalitiesinjuries
11 Sep 2001crashing of hijacked planes into World Trade Center, New York City, New York, Pentagon in Alexandria, Virginia, and site in Pennsylvania, USA2,9938,900
14 Aug 2007multiple car bombings in Al-Qataniyah and Al-Adnaniyah, Iraq5201,500
20 Aug 1978arson of theater in Abadan, Iran477?
1-3 Sep 2004hostage taking at school in Beslan, Russia (includes 30 terrorists killed)366747
23 Jun 1985mid-air bombing of Air India flight off Ireland, and attempted bombing of second flight in Canada3314
12 Mar 199315 bombings in Bombay, India3171,400
8 Aug 1998truck bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Saalam, Tanzania3034,954
23 Oct 1983truck bombings of U.S. Marine and French barracks, Beirut, Lebanon301161
22 Sep 1997attack at Ben Talha, Algeria277?
30 Dec 1997attack at Ami Moussa, Algeria272?
21 Dec 1988mid-air bombing of Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland27012
20 Nov-5 Dec 1979hostage taking at Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (includes 87 terrorists killed)240600
21 Feb 2004armed attack and arson at refugee camp, Uganda23960
29 Aug 1997attacks at Sidi Moussa and Hais Rais, Algeria238?
31 Oct 1999intentional crash of Egypt Air flight off Massachusetts, USA, by pilot2170
12 Oct 2002car bombing outside nightclub in Kuta, Indonesia202350
23 Nov 2006multiple car bombings in Baghdad, Iraq202250
11 Jul 2006multiple bombings on commuter trains in Mumbai, India200714
18 Apr 2007multiple bombings in Baghdad, Iraq193197
11 Mar 2004bombings of four trains in Madrid, Spain1911,876
2 Mar 2004multiple suicide bombings at shrines in Kadhimiya and Karbala, Iraq188430
14 Sep 2005multiple suicide bombings and shooting attacks in Baghdad, Iraq182679
7 Jul 2007multiple suicide truck bombings in Armili and area, Iraq182270
4 Jan 1998attacks at Had Chekala, Remka, and Ain Tarik, Algeria172?
19 Sep 1989mid-air bombing of French UTA flight near Bilma, Niger1710
26 Oct 2002hostage taking and attempted rescue in theater in Moscow, Russia (includes 41 terrorists killed)170656
19 Apr 1995truck bombing of federal building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA169675
16 Apr 1925bombing of cathedral in Sophia, Bulgaria160?
27 Mar 2007two truck bombings in Tal Afar, Iraq152347
10 Aug 2001attack on train south of Luanda, Angola152146
14 May 1985armed attack on crowds in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka150?
14-19 June 1996hostage taking in Budennovsk, Russia, and two failed rescue attempts143435
18 Oct 2007bombing of motorcade in Karachi, Pakistan140540
3 Aug 1990armed attack at two mosques in Kathankudy, Sri Lanka14070
3 Feb 2007truck bombing in marketplace in Baghdad, Iraq137334
6 Mar 2007two suicide bombings and additional attacks in Hilla, Iraq137310
28 Feb 2005car bombing outside medical clinic in Hilla, Iraq135130
2 Oct 1990crash of hijacked PRC airliner in Guangzhou, PRC13249
13 Sep 1999bombing of apartment building in Moscow, Russia130150
18 Apr 1987roadway ambush near Alut Oya, Sri Lanka12764
23 Nov 1996crash of hijacked Ethiopian Air flight off Comoros12748
29 Aug 2003car bombing outside mosque in Najaf, Iraq125500
5 Jan 2006bombings in Karbala, Ramadi, and Baghdad, Iraq124203
13 Aug 1990armed attack at mosque in Eravur, Sri Lanka12279
27 Feb 2004bombing and fire on ferry near Manila, Philippines1189
29 Nov 1987mid-air bombing of Korean Air flight near Burma1150
23 Sep 1983crash of Gulf Air flight following mid-air bombing over the UAE1120
27 Nov 1989mid-air bombing of Avianca flight in Bogota, Columbia110?
1 Feb 2004two suicide bombings of political party offices in Irbil, Iraq109240
21 Apr 1987bombing of bus depot in Columbo, Sri Lanka106295
22 Sep 1993crash of airliner struck by missile in Sukhumi, Georgia10626
17 Feb 2008suicide bombing at dogfighting festival, Kandahar, Afghanistan10565
24 Jun 2004multiple bombings and armed attacks in several cities in Iraq103324
16 Oct 2006suicide bombing of military convoy near Habarana, Sri Lanka103150
11 Jan 1998attack on movie theater and mosque at Sidi Hamed, Algeria10370
4-10 Jul 2007hostage taking and army storming of mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan102?
22 Jan 2007multiple bombings and mortar attack on marketplaces in Baghdad and Baquba, Iraq101186
13 Dec 1921bombing of Bolgard palace in Bessarabia (modern Moldova)100?
18 May 1973mid-air bombing of Aeroflot airliner, Siberia1000
4 Dec 1977crash of hijacked Malaysian airliner near Malaysia1000


Significant terrorist acts using unconventional weapons

dateattack and locationfatalitiesinjuries
6 Apr 2007suicide bombing with truck carrying chlorine tanks in Ramadi, Iraq3550
6 Sep 1987water poisoning with pesticide at constabulary in Zamboanga City, Philippines19140
21 Jan 1994attack with chemical grenades on village of Ormancik, Turkey16?
28 Jan 2007explosion of truck bomb carrying chlorine tank16?
20 Mar 1995sarin nerve gas attack in subway in Toyko, Japan125,511
20 Feb 2007bombing of chlorine tanker truck in Taji, Iraq9150
16 Mar 2007two suicide bombings using trucks carrying chlorine tanks in Falluja, Iraq8350
27 Jun 1994nerve gas attack in Matsumoto, Japan7270
21 Feb 2007explosion of car bomb carrying chlorine tanks in Baghdad, Iraq673
9 Oct 2001anthrax-laced letters mailed to Washington, DC, USA47
18 Sep 2001anthrax-laced letters mailed to West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, and New York City, New York, USA110
19 Apr 1946cyanide poisoning in prison near Nuremberg, Germany02,283
9-19 Sep 1984salmonella poisoning in restaurants in The Dalles, Oregon, USA0751
19 Apr 1995tear gas attack in Yokohama, Japan0272


Terrorist attacks producing high numbers of non-fatal injuries*

* This listing is incomplete and includes attacks resulting in 300 or more injuries apart from fatalities. Note than these figures are not as consistently defined by reporting authorities.

dateattack and locationfatalitiesinjuries
11 Sep 2001crashing of hijacked planes into World Trade Center, New York City, New York, Pentagon in Alexandria, Virginia, and site in Pennsylvania, USA2,9938,900
20 Mar 1995sarin nerve gas attack in subway in Toyko, Japan125,511
8 Aug 1998truck bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Saalam, Tanzania3034,954
19 Apr 1946cyanide poisoning in prison near Nuremberg, Germany02,283
11 Mar 2004bombings of four trains in Madrid, Spain1911,876
14 Aug 2007multiple car bombings in Al-Qataniyah and Al-Adnaniyah, Iraq5201,500
12 Mar 199315 bombings in Bombay, India3171,400
31 Jan 1996suicide truck bombing of bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka911,400
26 Feb 1993truck bombing in garage of World Trade Center, New York City, USA61,040
6 Dec 1989truck bombing at federal police building in Bogota, Columbia521,000
9-19 Sep 1984salmonella poisoning in restaurants in The Dalles, Oregon, USA0751
1-3 Sep 2004hostage taking at school in Beslan, Russia (includes 35 terrorists killed)372747
11 Jul 2006multiple bombings on commuter trains in Mumbai, India200714
1 Oct 1982truck bombing in public square in Tehran, Iran60700
7 Jul 2005bombings of three subway trains and one bus in London, UK54700
8 Oct 2006possible poisoning of food in Numaniyah, Iraq7?700?
14 Sep 2005multiple suicide bombings and shooting attacks in Baghdad, Iraq182679
19 Apr 1995truck bombing of federal building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA169675
26 Oct 2002hostage taking and attempted rescue in theater in Moscow, Russia (includes 41 terrorists killed)170656
27 Dec 2002two car bombings outside government house, Chechnya, Russia71640
20 Nov-5 Dec 1979hostage taking at Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (includes 87 terrorists killed)240600
17 Jul 1996bombing of train in Sri Lanka70600
18 Oct 2007bombing of motorcade in Karachi, Pakistan140540
15 Aug 1998two car bombings in Omagh, Northern Ireland, UK29530
26 Jun 1996truck bombing at U.S. military housing complex in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia19515
29 Aug 2003car bombing outside mosque in Najaf, Iraq125500
16 Sep 1999car bombing in Volgodonsk, Russia17480
14-19 June 1996hostage taking in Budennovsk, Russia, and two failed rescue attempts143435
2 Mar 2004multiple suicide bombings at shrines in Kadhimiya and Karbala, Iraq188430
20 Nov 2003suicide bombings of British consulate and bank in Istanbul, Turkey30400
12 Oct 2002car bombing outside nightclub in Kuta, Indonesia202350
16 Mar 2007two suicide bombings using trucks carrying chlorine tanks in Falluja, Iraq8350
27 Mar 2007two truck bombings in Tal Afar, Iraq152347
3 Feb 2007truck bombing in marketplace in Baghdad, Iraq137334
24 Jun 2004multiple bombings and armed attacks in several cities in Iraq103324
26 Sep 1980suicide bombing in Munich, West Germany13312
6 Mar 2007two suicide bombings and additional attacks in Hilla, Iraq137310
1 Aug 1980bombing at railway station in Bologna, Italy85300
1 Oct 1981car bombing in Beirut, Lebanon83300
14 Jul 1987twin car bombs and two other bombs in shopping area in Karachi, Pakistan72300
15 Dec 1976bombing at airport in Baghdad, Iraq40300
16 Sep 1920bombing near bank in New York City, New York, USA34300
5 Mar 1998bombing of bus in Colombo, Sri Lanka32300


Updated from "Selected Terrorist Incidents: U.S. and Abroad," version 5

Sources:


© 2000-2007, 2008 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 7 July 2008.
Return to Home. Return to Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Unconventional Warfare.