compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 7 July 2008
13 December 1921--A bomb was thrown at the Bolgard palace in Bessarabia (modern day Moldova), killing mostly police and soldiers. [1] Fatalities: 100.
16 April 1925--A crowded cathedral was bombed in Sophia, Bulgaria, during a funeral for a government official. The bombing, at the Sveta Nedelya Cathedral, was apparently intended to kill the Bulgarian king who nonetheless survived. The premier and war minister were among those killed. Bulgarian authorities concluded that the bombing was conducted by Communists supported by the Soviet Union, and many Communists were arrested and executed (reportedly at least 6,000 and 400, respectively) for the bombing. [2] Fatalities: 160.
(Note: an explosion on 4 March 1960 destroyed a ship loaded with munitions in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, killing 100; while attributed to sabotage by the Cuban government, it is generally concluded to have been accidental.)
18 May 1973--A hijacked Aeroflot Tu-104 airliner exploded over Siberia. The airliner was en route from Moscow to Chita. The hijacker set off a bomb in the passenger cabin after his demands were not met, when the plane was about 150 km short of Chita. All aboard were killed. Some reports have claimed, however, that the aircraft was shot down by Soviet fighters while departing Soviet airspace. (Sources differ on the date and/or number of fatalities.) [3] Fatalities: 100.
4 December 1977--A hijacked Malaysian Boeing 737 airliner crashed about 8:15 PM near the Straits of Johore. The aircraft was descending when the hijackers shot both pilots after which the airliner crashed in a swamp, killing all aboard. [4] Fatalities: 100.
20 August 1978--A group of Islamic extremists set fire to a crowded theater in Abadan, Iran. The moviegoers were violating Islamist beliefs by watching movies during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The single exit to the theater was locked with the assistance of a theater employee while the building was set ablaze with incendiary bombs. A small number of occupants were able to escape; most, however, were stampeded or died of smoke inhalation or flames. [5] Fatalities: 477.
20 November 1979--Up to 500 armed gunmen occupied the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, taking hundreds of worshippers hostage. Many of the gunmen were connected to Saudi security forces. Saudi troops stormed the mosque on 4-5 December. Hostage casualties included 26 killed and 109 injured; among Saudi soldiers, 127 were killed and 451 injured. At least 87 of the gunmen were killed and at least 40 injured; of those taken into custody, 67 were later simultaneously executed. [6] Fatalities: 240.
23 September 1983--A Gulf Air Boeing 737 en route from Karachi to Abu Dhabi crashed after a bomb exploded in the baggage compartment. After the explosion, the plane crashed in the desert near Mina Jebel Ali in the UAE about 3:30 PM during an attempted landing. [7] Fatalities: 112
23 October 1983--Truck bombs exploded at both the U.S. and French Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. The troops were in Lebanon attempting to help end the civil war/unrest. With Iranian and Syrian support, Islamic Jihad (or HizbAllah) had prepared two vehicles with sophisticated shaped charges of Composition-B. At 6:17 AM a suicide bomber drove a truck with a 300-kg charge into the U.S. Marine barracks near the Beirut airport. The building was partially destroyed, killing 241 American servicemen and injuring 146. Three minutes later, at 6:20 AM, a suicide bomber drove a truck with a 75-kg charge into the French marine barracks, killing 58 and injuring 15. [8] Fatalities: 301.
14 May 1985--Tamil Tigers attacked crowds in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, with automatic weapons. Those attacked were mostly Buddhist worshippers and monks at Sri Maha Budhi. The terrorists were dressed in army uniforms and drove through the area firing into crowds. [9] Fatalities: 150.
23 June 1985--An Air India Boeing 747 en route from Montreal, Canada, to London, England, exploded in midair at 7:15 AM off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 aboard. The aircraft was about 180 km west of Cork, Ireland. About one hour earlier, a suitcase taken off a Canadair flight from Vancouver, Canada, to Tokyo, Japan, exploded at the Vancouver airport. Two baggage handlers were killed and 4 injured. It was concluded that the suitcase bomb exploded prematurely, having been intended for transfer to an Air India flight. Another bomb exploded at the Toyko International Airport before being transfered from a Canadian jetliner to a flight bound for Bombay, India. The Indian government believed Sikh extremists were responsible. [10] Fatalities: 331.
18 April 1987--Tamil Tigers ambushed and attacked Sinhalese on three buses, two trucks, and a private van on a road in Sri Lanka near Alut Oya. Casualties numbered 127 dead and 64 injured. [11] Fatalities: 127.
21 April 1987--Tamil Tigers detonated a bomb at a bus depot in Columbo, Sri Lanka. Casualties numbered 106 dead and 295 injured. This brought a four-day total of 248 killed by Tamil attacks. [12] Fatalities: 106.
29 November 1987--A Korean Air Lines Boeing 707 was destroyed in a bombing by two North Korean agents. The two planted a bomb aboard the jet and deplaned in Abu Dhabi. The plane exploded en route to Bangkok at about 11:30 AM while over the Andaman Sea, killing all 115 aboard. The agents were arrested in Bahrain but consumed poison concealed in cigarettes. The male died, but the female survived and later implicated North Korea in plotting the bombing. [13] Fatalities: 115.
(Note: a series of explosions on 10 April 1988 in a munitions depot in Pakistan killed 150 and injured 3,000; while initially attributed to sabotage, it was later concluded to be accidental.[14])
21 December 1988--Pam American Flight 103, a Boeing 747, was destroyed in flight by a bomb at 6:56 PM. The plane was en route from London, England, to New York City, carrying holiday and other travelers. An explosive device, using a sophisticated time-delay fuse, had been concealed in a portable radio in luggage originating in Malta and transfered to the flight in Frankfurt, Germany. This exploded in a cargo hold after the 747's departure from London, with the aircraft rapidly disintegrating due to the damage to the fuselage. All 259 aboard were killed, including 189 Americans. The mid-section of the plane impacted the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland, destroying several buildings and killing 11 more people and injuring 12. An intensive investigation eventually identified two Libyan suspects; the Libyan government was implicated by evidence including the timer used in the bomb. In 2004 Libya settled claims stemming from the bombing. [15] Fatalities: 270.
19 September 1989--A French UTA passenger DC-10 was destroyed in mid-air over Niger by the explosion of a luggage bomb at 2:00 PM. While en route from N'Djanen, Chad, to Paris, the bomb exploded in the cargo area, causing the plane to break up and crash near Bilma, Niger, 46 minutes after takeoff. The bomber is believed to be a man from Congo who deboarded at N'Djanen, but Libyan state involvement is also suspected. [16] Fatalities: 171.
27 November 1989--A bomb exploded aboard a Colombian Avianca Boeing 727 passenger jet departing Bogota, Columbia, en route to Cali, at 7:16. Exploding 5 minutes after takeoff in a passenger seat, the bomb ignited fuel vapors and caused the plane to crash, killing all 107 aboard as well as 3 on the ground. The bomb was planted by members of the Medellin drug cartel, led by Pablo Escobar who was charged by the U.S. in August 1992. The bomb may have been supplied by Islamic terrorists, based on similarities to the one that destroyed Pam American Flight 103. Five passengers were informants who had been targeted by the drug cartel. Two Americans were among those killed. [17] Fatalities: 110.
3 August 1990--Tamil LTTE guerrillas attacked two mosques in Kathankudy, Sri Lanka. While Muslims were in the two mosques for daily prayer, the guerillas surrounded both mosques, one occupied by about 300, the other by about 40. The attackers fired through the windows and used other weapons. About 109 were killed immediately with another 31 later reportedly dying of injuries; another 70 were injured. The attacks were part of a series of attacks on Muslims in the area over a period of about a week, killing a total of about 300. [18] Fatalities: 140.
13 August 1990--Tamil LTTE guerrillas attacked a mosque in Eravur, Sri Lanka, using automatic weapons and other weapons. About 122 were killed, with reports of another 36 missing and 43 injured. [19] Fatalities: 122.
2 October 1990--A Chinese Boeing 737 was hijacked and crashed during landing in Guangzhou (Canton), PRC, about 9:15 AM. During a flight from Xiamen to Guangzhou, a young man claimed to have explosives and demanded the pilot fly to the Republic of China (Taiwan), clearing the other flight crew from the cockpit. The pilot circled the Baiyin airport near Guangzhou, failing to convince the hijacker that fuel was insufficient to reach the ROC. Apparently as the pilot finally attempted an emergency landing at Baiyin, the hijacked wrestled for control of the aircraft. Upon touching down the 737 swerved into two other aircraft on the ground, a Boeing 707 and a Boeing 757, both China Southwest Airlines. The 737 overturned, killing 84 of 104 aboard; another 48 were killed on the 757. Those killed included 30 from the Republic of China. A total of 49 were injured. [20] Fatalities: 132.
12 March 1993--A series of bombings occurred in Bombay, India. At 1:30 PM a powerful car bomb exploded in the basement of the Mumbai Stock Exchange building in Bombay, India. The 28-story office building housing the exchange was set on fire and many nearby office buildings were also severely damaged. About 50 were killed by this explosion. Thirty minutes later, another car bomb exploded elsewhere in Bombay, and from 1:30 PM to 3:50 PM a total of 13 bombs exploded throughout the city of Bombay. All the bombs used RDX explosive; most were car bombs, while some were in scooters. A bomb on a bus killed 80. Three hotels were struck by suitcase bombs left in rooms booked by the terrorists: Hotel Sea Rock, Hotel Juhu Centaur, and Hotel Airport Centaur (this bomb at 3:50 PM killed 2). Other targets included banks, government offices, an airline office (Air-India Building), and a major shopping complex. Specific sites struck included Zaveri Bazar, Century Bazar, Katha Bazar, Shiv Sena Bhawan, Plaza Theatre, Nair Hospital, J. J. Hospital, and Bombay University. The jeep-bomb at the Century Bazar exploded prematurely, foiling a plot by the departing group of terrorists to conduct an additional attack with automatic weapons. The bombing at Shiv Sena Bhawan caused no injuries. Hand grenades were thrown at Sahar International Airport and at Fishermen's Colony, apparently targeting Hindus at the latter.
Official casualty counts were 257 killed and 713 injured; other sources reported 317 killed and 1,400 injured. Two days later a pair of unexploded bombs were found and defused near a rail station. A local Muslim organized crime family was blamed; the Indian government has concluded that Pakistan is sheltering some of those responsible. By April 88 had been arrested; on 30 June 1995 India placed 124 accused conspirators on trial, eventually trying about 200; on 20 February 2003 India arrested two more men accused of being gang leaders behind the attack. [21] Fatalities: 317.
22 September 1993--About 6:30 PM a Transair Georgian Airlines Tu-154B was hit by a missile while on approach to Sukhumi, Georgia. The aircraft crashed on the runway, killing 106 of 132 aboard. The missile was fired by Abkhazian rebels. [22] Fatalities: 106.
19 April 1995--At 9:02 AM a explosion from a truck bomb caused the partial collapse of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The explosion resulted from a 2,000-kg ammonium nitrate/fuel oil bomb in a truck parked in front of the building. The 168 killed included 15 children in a day care center on the second floor, 30 visitors (including 4 more children), one person outdoors, and 3 people in nearby buildings. Injuries numbered 675, including 166 in the Murrah building, 413 in nearby buildings, 60 outdoors, and 36 in unknown locations. One rescue worker also died of injuries sustained during recovery efforts.
Timothy McVeigh was arrested 30 km away at 9:10 AM on a traffic violation and charged with the bombing on April 21. McVeigh held anti-government views and choose the target as a federal building with a BATF office on the second anniversary of the federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Outside experts have questioned some conclusions of federal investigators and argue that demolition charges would have had to have been emplaced within the building. [23] Fatalities: 169.
14 June 1995--About 75 Chechen guerrillas entered Budennovsk, Russia, and attacked a police station, killing 42. The guerrillas then seized a hospital and took about 1,600 hostages. The terrorists killed 5 hostages on 14 June and 6 on 15 June (including 2 police offiers). While about 400 hostages were released, Russian troops surrounded the hospital and made two unsuccessful assaults over the next few days. These assaults freed about 200 hostages but resulted in many civilian casualties, most from a resulting fire in the hospital. A deal was eventually negotiated with the guerrillas under which they were permitted to return to Chechnya on 19 April with about 200 hostages, mostly women and children, who were released at the Chechen border. Those killed include 18 policemen, 17 Russian servicemen, 94 Russian civilians, and about 14 terrorists; 415 civilians and 20 Russian troops were injured. [24] Fatalities: 143.
(Note: the 17 July 1996 mid-air explosion of TWA 800 off Long Island, New York, which killed 230, has been ruled accidental by the U.S. government; some outsiders maintain that terrorism cannot be ruled out. [25])
23 November 1996--An Ethiopian Boeing 767 passenger jet flying from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Nairobi, Kenya, crashed during a hijacking. The three hijackers, male, are believed to have been Ethiopians and were drunk. The pilot was instructed to fly to Australia but did not have enough fuel and was denied permission to land to refuel. The pilot brought the plane down a few hundred meters off a resort beach at Moroni in the Comoros Islands off Africa. The hijackers may have fought for control of the aircraft during descent, contributing to the crash during ditching. People on the beach were able to rescue 48 of the 175 aboard the plane. All the hijackers were believed killed. [26] Fatalities: 127.
29 August 1997--Attacks on civilians at Hais Rais and Sidi Moussa, Algeria, killed 238. [27] Fatalities: 238.
22 September 1997--An attack on civilians at Ben Talha, Algeria, killed 277. [28] Fatalities: 277.
30 December 1997--An attack on civilians at Ami Moussa, Algeria, killed 272. [29] Fatalities: 272.
4 January 1998--Attacks at Had Chekala, Remka, and Ain Tarik, Algeria, killed 172. [30] Fatalities: 172.
11 January 1998--Attacks on a movie theater and mosque at Sidi Hamed, Algeria, killed at least 103 and injured 70. [31] Fatalities: 103.
7 August 1998--Two U.S. embassies in Africa were bombed. In the morning a truck carrying what may have been a 500-kg TNT charge was turned away from the front of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. It was then driven to an alley behind the embassy building where it was detonated, following an exchange of gunfire, at 10:30 AM. The Ufundi Building, an office building adjacent to (but unaffiliated with) the U.S. embassy collapsed. Most of the 291 deaths were in that building; 12 Americans in the embassy were killed. Injuries throughout the neighboring blocks totaled 4,877 (including the U.S. ambassador and 5 other Americans), with about 560 serious injuries.
At 10:39 AM, a truck with a similar bomb was confronted by guards outside the U.S. embassy in Dar es Saalam, Tanzania. Access was blocked by a water truck so the bomb was detonated outside the compound. All 12 killed there were Tanzanians. Another 77 were injured, including 1 American. Although the vehicle was outside the perimeter fence the embassy building was severely damaged. The water truck was thrown into the compound and the body of one occupant was never found, prompting speculation that this vehicle was involved. The subsequent investigation concluded the attack was the work of Al Qaeda, a state-supported Islamist terrorist group led by Osama bin Laden. [32] Fatalities: 303.
13 September 1999--At 5:00 a bomb exploded in the Kashirskoye Shosse apartment building in Moscow, Russia, killing 130 and injuring 150. Explosive had been placed in a rented room in the building. The explosion was one of four similar attacks on apartment bombings in a period of 12 days: the others occured on 4 Sept. (62 killed), 10 Sept. (92 killed), and 16 Sept. (17 killed), bringing a total of 301 fatalities for the four attacks. The Russian prime minister initially attributed the attack to terrorists from the republic of Chechnya. [33] Fatalities: 130.
31 October 1999--An Egypt Air Boeing 767 crashed off the coast of Massachusetts after departing New York City bound for Cario. The crash occurred at 1:52 AM, 33 minutes after takeoff near Nantucket Island. U.S. authorities have concluded that the Egyptian relief first officer intentional crashed the aircraft. Flight data suggests that he shut off the engines and put the aircraft into a steep dive; a second crewmember unsuccessfully struggled for control of the aircraft, which broke apart from aerodynamic stresses and crashed. [34] Fatalities: 217.
10 August 2001--Rebels derail and attack a train 130 km southeast of Luanda, Angola. The train was derailed by a planted bomb and set on fire, after which Unita rebels attacked the train. At least 152 were reportedly killed and 146 injured. [35] Fatalities: 152.
11 September 2001--Four jetliners on domestic flights from northeastern U.S. airports were hijacked and crashed, three into buildings. Four or five hijackers aboard each aircraft used utility knives to subdue the crew, with a hijacker with flight training taking control of each aircraft. At 8:46 AM American Flight 11 was flown into floors 94 to 99 of the World Trade Center's north tower in New York City. At 9:03 AM United Flight 175 was flown into floors 78 to 84 of the Center's south tower. Both crashes resulted in fires which eventually weakened the towers' structural steel, causing the complete collapse of the south tower at 10:05 AM and the north tower at 10:28 AM. Most people not trapped by the fires had been evacuated from the towers at that point; however, hundreds of police officers and firefighters were in the towers. The World Trade Center collapse caused fires and/or collapses of several nearby buildings, particularly World Trade Center 7 at 5:20 PM.
At 9:43 AM American Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon in Alexandria, Virginia, causing a fire and partial collapse of a limited section at 10:10 AM. This killed 125 Pentagon personnel, injured 200, and killed all 64 aboard the aircraft, including 5 terrorists. The section of the Pentagon that was struck was being renovated, contributing to the low casualty count. Passengers on the fourth jetliner, United Flight 93, learned of these events via cellular phones and attacked the hijackers; this aircraft crashed into a field in Somerset county, south central Pennsylvania, killing all 45 aboard (including 4 terrorists), at 10:10 AM. The hijackers of this plane are believed to have intended to strike a site in Washington, DC, most likely the Capitol Building.
Fatalities due to the Trade Center strikes remain uncertain at 2,759 dead; another 43 missing could not be conclusively linked to the World Trade Center site. These figures include 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, 158 aboard the two aircraft, and 2,235 workers and visitors at the Trade Center. Fatalities aboard the aircraft include 88 passengers and crew on American Flight 11, 60 passengers and crew on United Flight 175, and 5 terrorists on each plane. Total fatalities at the Trade Center site include several hundred citizens of foreign countries: 27 were foreign residents (11 of the UK); 568 were born abroad. Foreigners included individuals from the United Kingdom, India, Columbia, Pakistan, Israel, and Puerto Rico. Another 8,700 were injured, of whom 6,391 received treatment. The attacks were conducted by Al Qaeda with the operation overseen by Osama bin Laden. The United States subsequently assisted opposition forces in Afghanistan in the overthrown of its Taliban ruling party, which has sheltered Al Qaeda. [36] Fatalities: 2,993.
12 October 2002--A small homemade bomb exploded in front of a nightclub in Kuta, on the Indonesian island of Bali. A few seconds later, at 11:30 PM, a large bomb in a Jeep-like vehicle exploded in front of another nightclub 30 meters from the first bomb. The explosion severely damaged the nightclub and started a fire, causing gas cylinders inside the building to explode and the collapse of the remaining structure onto survivors. The fire spread to a nearby club and 20 other buildings. A few minutes after these explosions a bomb exploded near the American honorary consulate in Denpasar but caused no injuries. Fatalities were reported as 180 by 12 October, but eventually rose to 202 as additional victims died of injuries. This included 88 Australians (of which 3 were children), 38 Indonesians, 26 Britons, 9 Swedes, 7 Americans, 6 Germans, 4 Dutch, 3 Danes, 3 French, 3 Swiss citizens, 2 Canadians, 2 Japanese, 2 New Zealanders, 2 South Koreans, and 1 each from Brazil, Ecuador, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, and one other country. Another 350 were injured. In the following weeks, Indonesian authorities arrested members of a radical Islamist group, some of whom indicated that they had sought to target American tourists. Several of these individuals went to trial in May 2003. [37] Fatalities: 202.
26 October 2002--Many hostages and terrorists were killed during attempted rescue of hostages in the Nord-Ost theater in Moscow, Russia. On 23 October 41 Chechen terrorists stormed a theater during performance of a popular play, taking about 800 hostages, including 75 foreigners. About 100 people in the theater were able to escape in the first few minutes, but one woman was shot and killed by the terrorists and another person was injured. The terrorists demanded the withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya and released about 50 children and Muslim adults. One police officer was shot and killed during the standoff. The terrorists set a deadline at dawn 26 Oct. and killed two hostages as the deadline approached.
Russian counterterrorist forces pumped an incapacitating gas (fentanyl) into the theater to induce unconsciousness before storming the theater shortly before the deadline. All the terrorists were shot and killed, but not before shooting and killing two more hostages. The fentanyl-based gas killed 124 hostages: some died immediately due to the combined effect of the gas with medical conditions or vomited and suffocated while unconscious; others died in hospitals over the next few days from complications including liver poisoning. Hostages killed included 9 non-Russians: 1 from Armenia, 1 from Austria, 1 from Azerbaijan, 1 from Belarus, 1 from Kazakhstan, 1 from the Netherlands, 2 from the Ukraine, and 1 from the U.S. In total, 129 hostages died and 653 were rescued. Of those rescued, 501 had been treated and released by 31 October; about 40 were seriously injured, but some were readmitted later. [38] Fatalities: 170.
29 August 2003--At about 2:00 PM, twin car bombs exploded outside the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq, killing 125 (although reports vary; some report only 83 to 94 killed). An estimated 700 kg of explosives was used, ordnance left over from the Hussein regime. Among those killed was Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, a Shiite leader. About 500 were injured. Four men, two Saudis and two Iraqis, were arrested shortly after the explosion, and another 15 were arrested in the next two days, including 6 Palestinians and other foreigners; initial reports link those arrested to Al Quaeda. [39] Fatalities: 125.
1 February 2004--At about 11:00 AM, two suicide bombings in Irbil, Iraq, killed 109 and injured at least 240. One attack struck a crowd outside the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the other struck the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Each bombing was carried out by an individual with explosives strapped to his body. [40] Fatalities: 109.
21 February 2004--Terrorists attacked a refugee camp in northern Uganda, killing 239 and injuring 60. The group, the Lord's Resistance Army, drove off the camp's militia and then set fire to huts. Most of those killed were civilians hiding in huts set ablaze. [41] Fatalities: 239.
27 February 2004--A bomb exploded on a ferry en route from Manila to Bacolod, Philippines, causing a fire. The bomb, a 4 kg of TNT planted inside a television, exploded shortly before 1:00 AM local time, about 2 hours into the voyage, while many passengers were sleeping. Of 900 people aboard, at least 118 were killed and 9 injured. The Abu Sayyaf group claimed responsibility; the group had previously demanded $1 million in protection money from the shipowners. The Philippine government initially attributed the fire to accidental causes. Two group members were arrested in March, and four others were later arrested. The government did not acknowledge a bombing as the source of the fire until November. [42] Fatalities: 118.
2 March 2004--Multiple suicide bombings at two locations in Iraq killed 188 and injured 430 (casualty figures remain uncertain, with reported fatalities ranging from 140 to 271), in both cases at about 10:00 AM. Three suicide bombers attacked a shrine at Kadhimiya, a suburb of Baghdad, killing 67 and injuring 200. Another suicide bomber struck a shrine in Karbala, killing 121 and injuring 230. Crowds celebrating the Shia festival of Ashura were targeted in both locations. The attacks may have involved the participation of individuals from Iran. Between 29 and 40 of those killed were Iranian pilgrims. [43] Fatalities: 188.
11 March 2004--Multiple bombings on trains in Madrid, Spain, killed 191 and injured 1,876 during morning rush hour. At 7:39 AM four bombs exploded on a train approaching Atocha station, killing at least 59, while three bombs exploded on a train inside the station, killing at least 30. Two bombs exploded on a double-decker train at El Pozo station at 7:41 AM, killing at least 70. At 7:43 AM one explosion on a train at Santa Eugenia station killed at least 17. Police defused three more bombs hidden in backpacks. Reported figures included 192 dead as of 12 March; one infant died of injuries on 12 March and one person on 13 March. The death toll was revised from 202 to 190 on 23 March, and rose to 191 in early April; of those, 13 died in hospitals of wounds. Those killed included 47 foreign citizens, including 8 from Romania, 5 from Ecuador, 4 from Poland, 3 from Columbia, 3 from Peru, 3 from Morocco, 2 from the Dominican Republic, 2 from Honduras, and 1 each from Bulgaria, France, Cuba, Chile, and Guinea. Some authorities quickly blamed Basque seperatists, although such an attack is inconsistent with their past actions. However, a few days later five foreigners were arrested in connection to the attacks. [44] Fatalities: 191.
24 June 2004--Multiple bombings in Iraq killed 103 and injured 324. In Mosul at least four car bombs exploded at targets including the Wadi Hajar police station and location in the al-Wakhas district. Terrorists also engaged in gun battles in Mosul. Other targets there included the Iraqi policy academy, a second police station, and the al-Jumhuri hospital. One U.S. soldier was killed and others injured. In Baquba near Baghdad armed men attacked a police station with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. Casualties there numbered 13 killed and 15 wounded (including 2 U.S. soldiers killed and 7 injured). A similar attack on a police station in Ramadi killed 7 and injured 13; additional groups of terrorists attacked other targets there and in Falluja killing 13 and injuring 2. A U.S. Cobra helicopter was shot down in Falluja but there were no casualties. In Baghdad proper a car bomb killed 8 and injured 13; those killed included 4 members of Iraq's national guard. [45] Fatalities: 103.
3 September 2004--A standoff involving hundreds of hostages held by Chechen terrorists at a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, Russia, ended with heavy casualties. On 1 September at 8:30 AM about 32 terrorists (reportedly Chechens and at least 10 Arabs) burst into Beslan School Number One at the conclusion of ceremonies opening the school year and opened fire in the school courtyard. One male parent and one terrorist were killed during the takeover. About 1,181 hostages, including about 855 children, about 60 teachers, and about 266 parents and others, were forced into the school gymnasium. Adults were then forced to extract explosives and weapons placed under the gymnasium's floor during the summer. At 10:50 AM the terrorists threatened to blow up the school if it were stormed, placing children at windows as human shields. Two cars that approached the school were attacked with grenade launchers; at least one driver was killed. About 12 adult males were taken to the second floor and shot, with one more escaping with injuries by jumping out a window. Another person was killed outside the school and two died in hospitals. About 8 were killed, including injured hostages taken from the gymnasium and shot (one child and the remainder adults). Reportedly at some point during the day two female terrorists blew themselves up in school hallways, killing a number of male hostages; other information suggests that the group's leader remotely detonated the two terrorists explosives to deal with dissent among the terrorists. The terrorists requested a specific negotiator with whom they talked from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM on 2 Sept., when the terrorists ended negotiations. The terrorists negotiated with a former president of Ingushetia region at noon and released 30 women and children at 3:40 PM. The terrorists refused to accept food and water for the hostages, however, who resorted to drinking urine while massed in the gymnasium; many suffered heat exhaustion and removed most clothing.
The morning of 3 Sept. the terrorists agreed to allow an emergency vehicle to remove bodies of those killed two days earlier, and about noon the vehicle approached the school. As the vehicle was withdrawing, a bomb in the gym fell and exploded, prompting the terrorists to shoot and kill two emergency workers outside. Some hostages fled the building, drawing fire from the terrorists. Russian troops and local civilians fired on the terrorists, with disorganization among the latter group. The terrorists detonated their explosives with at least two explosions at 12:05 PM partially collapsing the gymnasium's roof and a wall. Dozens of hostage deaths resulted from the roof collapse. At 12:14 PM about 30 hostages escaped the school, including injured children. Some terrorists began trying to escape at 12:46 PM, and another explosion occurred at 12:53 PM. Troops entered the school around 1:00 PM, and hundreds of hostages fled with terrorists continuing to shoot at them, producing many injuries. At 1:40 PM troops blasted a hole in a wall to assist evacuation of the burning school building. Some terrorists escaped, including some who took hostages in a house. The school was reported clear of hostages by 2:15 PM, and at 2:25 PM troops attacked a house where 13 terrorists were believed hiding. Explosions and gunfire continued near and within the school to at least 4:05 PM. Most terrorists were killed in gunfire (two were killed by crowds of civilians), but some were still firing from the school around noon and at least three were hidden in the school's basement at 2:50 PM with child hostages. At 8:00 PM some children were still being held hostage.
Operations were declared over at 10:40 PM, with at least one terrorist captured alive and 30 terrorists killed; some reports claim 3 escaped. Final reports of the number killed include 336 civilian hostages (of whom 16 died in hospitals); this includes 156 children, 19 teachers, and 161 other adult hostages, mostly parents and other relatives. In addition 2 police officers and 11 soldiers were killed. Reported injuries numbered 727 hostages, about 18 soldiers, and at least 2 police officers. Those hospitalized peaked at 704 (including over 336 children). One survivor committed suicide shortly after 3 Sept., and another committed suicide in early 2005. The school attack followed suicide bombings of two airliners flying from Moscow on 25 Aug., which killed 90, and a suicide bombing in Moscow on 31 Aug. which killed 10. [46] Fatalities: 366.
28 February 2005--A suicide car bombing occurred at 9:30 AM outside a medical clinic in Hilla, Iraq, killed 135. The car was driven by a suicide bomber and detonated near a clinic where hundreds of people were awaiting medical exams for government jobs, including police jobs. Most of the casualties were among these people, although casualties also occurred in a nearby market area. Early reports indicated 125 killed, with the death toll later rising to 135. At least 125 were injured. [47] Fatalities: 135.
(Note: a stampede on 31 August 2005 at a Baghdad, Iraq, bridge during a religious gathering killed 965; the reports of a suicide bomber which started the stampede were false. [48])
14 September 2005--Multiple attacks in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 182 and injured 679. Terrorists invaded homes in Taji before dawn, dragged people into the street, and shot 17 to death. In the Kadhimiya district about 6:30 AM a suicide bomber driving a van attracted a group of mostly Shia workers with the promise of employment, then blew up the vehicle, killing 114 and injuring at least 160. Later that morning in Adhmaiya, Badhdad, gunmen killed 4 police officers. Rescuers responding to this attack were struck by a suicide car bomber which killed 3 Iraqi soldiers and 4 police officers. About 10:00 AM a suicide bomber struck a convoy in west Baghdad, killing 3 soldiers. About 10:10 AM a suicide bomber attack in Shula, northwest Baghdad, killed 4 civilians and injured 22. At 1:22 PM an explosion occurred in downtown Baghdad, possibly targeting a US military convoy; a subsequent exchange of gunfire with terrorists injured 14 Iraqi police officers. About 2:00 PM two police stations in western Baghdad were attacked by gunmen, injuring 3 police officers. A mortar attack in eastern Baghdad killed one civilian in a car. A shooting attack killed an Iraqi army officer and injured one civilian in southern Baghdad. At 9:55 PM a mortar attack on a market killed 2 and injured over 50. A suicide bomber attacked a US Humvee in eastern Baghdad, injuring 2 US soldiers. Another suicide bomber attack during the day failed to cause injuries. [49] Fatalities: 182.
5 January 2006--Over a period of an hour, bombings occurred in three Iraqi cities. About 10:00 AM a bomber wearing a vest loaded with about 9 kg of explosives, several grenades, and ball bearings blew himself up between two shrines in Karbala. The bombing took place about 30 meters from one shire in an area frequented by pedestrians and street vendors. At least 63 were killed and 143 injured; 5 Iranian pilgrims were among those killed. Also about 10:00 AM a roadside bombing killed 5 U.S. soldiers in Baghdad. At 10:55 AM in Ramadi a bomber blew himself up in a group of 1,000 applicants for employment with the police. About 56 were killed and 60 injured. [50] Fatalities: 124.
11 July 2006--Multiple bombs exploded during evening rush hour on commuter trains in and near Mumbai, India. Eight explosions occurred on trains over a period of 11 minutes beginning at 6:24 PM, spread 30 km through the western suburbs of Mumbai. The first explosion caused limited injuries on a train near the Khar railway station in Mumbai at 6:24. Other explosions near downtown Mumbai occurred at 6:24 at Bandra station, 6:26 at Mahim, and 6:30 at Matunga. Further up the western rail line one explosion occurred at Jogeshwari at 6:25, one at Mira Road at 6:29, and two at Borivali at 6:35. The explosions, all in first class cars, used RDX and pencil-sized timers and were powerful enough to significantly damage the train cars, each carrying up to 500 passengers during rush hour. At Jogeshwai, the explosion occurred just as the train left the station, injuring bystanders on the train platform as well; at the Matunga station, the explosion damaged the train platform roof. The train system was quickly shut down by authorities and phone services were disrupted, but both trains and phones were resuming operations about four hours later. Recovery efforts were complicated by rains about an hour after the bombings. Reports on 12 July indicate 200 killed and 714 injured. A few hours before the bombings, 8 tourists were killed and 39 tourists and others injured in grenade attacks by Islamic terrorists in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, but there is no current indication of a link between the attacks. [51] Fatalities: 200.
16 October 2006--A terrorist drove a truck loaded with explosives into a military convoy near Habarana, Sri Lanka. About 340 navy personnel on leave were at the site in a convoy of 24 buses when a suicide bomber drove a truck into the convoy and detonated an explosive charge. Of 103 killed, 98 died at the site, 4 died en route to hospitals, and 1 had died in a hospital in Anuradhapura through 16 Oct.; another 150 were injured. Some casualties, as many as few dozen, are believed to be civilians, including tea vendors, who were present at the site. [52] Fatalities: 103.
23 November 2006--Multiple bombings took place in Sadr City, a Shia sector of Baghdad, Iraq. At least three car bombs exploded over a period of minutes, one at a busy square, one at a food market, and one near a bus stop. At least 202 were killed and about 250 injured. A short time later, a dozen mortars struck the Sunni Adhamiya district, injuring 10. [53] Fatalities: 202.
22 January 2007--Multiple bombings took place in and near Baghdad, Iraq. Shortly after 12:00 a car bomb explode in the Haraj clothes market in Baghdad, followed seconds later by a car bomb driven into the crowd by a suicide bomber; 88 were killed and 160 injured. About 17:00 in a market in Baquba, a bomb hidden in a vegetable cart exploded and was followed by a mortar attack; 12 were killed and 26 injured. Another mortar attack in Baghdad killed one. [54] Fatalities: 101.
3 February 2007--A massive truck bomb was detonated in a Baghdad Shia market place. The fuel truck used carried about one ton of explosives and was detonated in the Sadriyah market around dusk, when the market was crowded with shoppers before curfew. Eyewitness accounts claim the truck was detonated by a suicide bomber; official accounts claim the truck was parked and remotely detonated. The market was an open-air market in a narrow street between buildings; consequently, the blast was partially funnelled along the street. Two buildings were destroyed and another ten buildings collapsed. As of 4 February casualties numbered 137 killed and at least 334 injured, with some of those injured not expected to survive. [55] Fatalities: 137.
6 March 2007--Two suicide bombers attacked pilgrims in Hilla, and 12 other attacks were made against Shi'ite pilgrims. The two bombings killed 105, and 32 were killed in the other attacks; a total of 310 were injured. [56] Fatalities: 137.
27 March 2007--Two truck bombs exploded in Tal Afar, killing 152 and injuring 347. [57] Fatalities: 152.
18 April 2007--Multiple bombings occurred in Baghdad, Iraq. About 4:00 PM a car bomb was left and detonated at the same Shia market place struck in February; it was detonated at the Sadriya market entrance, outside new concrete barriers, just as construction workers rebuilding the market were leaving for the day. Many were killed in vehicles that were set on fire outside the market. As of 19 April casualties were reported as 140 killed and 150 injured, including many women and children. Three other bombings occurred that afternoon: a suicide car bombing at about 3:00 PM at a Sadr City checkpoint killed 35 and injured at least 27; a car bomb at a private Karrada hospital killed 11 and injured 12; and a minibus bomb killed 2 and injured 8 in Al-Shurja. A bomb exploded on a minibus in Rusafa, killing 2 and injuring 5. A suicide car bomber struck a police patrol in Uaireej, south of Baghdad, killing 2 police officers and the bomber and injuring 2 officers and 2 civilians. Total casualties are at least 193 killed and 197 injured. [58] Fatalities: 193.
3-10 July 2007--Militants seized the Red Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 3 July. Army troops surrounded the mosque on 4 July, and from 4-10 July about 1100 hostages and some militants left the mosque, including about 437 women and children on 4 July and 28 women on 10 July. Troops assaulted the compound on 10 July. Total fatalities included 91 militants (including 1 woman), 10 soldiers, and 1 police officer. [59] Fatalities: 102.
7 July 2007--Multiple bombings killed about 182 and injured 200. The first suicide bombing north of Baghdad killed over 20; the second, in a market in Armili at 9:30 AM, killed more than 140 with 20 more missing (including 25 children and 40 women) and injured 270. [60] Fatalities: 182.
14 August 2007--Multiple truck bombings in Al-Qataniyah and Al-Adnaniyah, Iraq, killed and injured hundreds. Four truck bombs reportedly carrying 2 tons of explosives were set off within minutes of each other in the two small villages, targeting members of the Yazidi sect in northern Iraq. Early reports said the trucks were gas tankers, but later reports indicated they were garbage trucks driven into the two villages and announced to be carrying food rations; after crowds gathered around the trucks, they were detonated. Hundreds of clay houses were destroyed, burying many victims. Both villages were largely destroyed, with 1,000 houses destroyed and 500 damaged. On 17 August the Sinjar governor reported that 344 were known dead, with 400 injured and 70 others missing. Subsequent estimates of the number of fatalities ranged from 360 to 500. On 21 August the Iraqi Red Crescent Society reported that between 500 and 525 were killed and 1,500 injured, of which perhaps 300 were injured seriously. Of 300 patients transported to Sinjar, all had been taken home by relatives by 21 August, most fearing for their safety; 15 remained hospitalized at Tal Afar. [61] Fatalities: 520.
18 October 2007--Bombings occurred in a crowd greeting the former prime minister of Pakistan in Karachi, Pakistan. Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a target of Islamic militants, was in a motorcade moving slowly through crowds from an airport to the center of Karachi. As the convoy approached a bridge, the streetlights were out. A terrorist threw a grenade near the convoy; after the grenade exploded, he attempted to approach Bhutto's vehicle before detonating 15-20 kg of explosives. This larger explosion occurred a few meters from Bhutto's vehicle, setting a police escort van on fire, and breaking windows in Bhutto's truck. Bhutto was reportedly uninjured, but 50 of her security guards were killed. Two police vehicles were destroyed. Casualties, which included some children, were being treated at six hospitals, with 139 killed (plus the terrorist) and 540 injured as of 20 October. [62] Fatalities: 137.
17 February 2008--A suicide bombing at a dogfighting festival in Kandahar, Afghanistan, kills over 100. A suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a group of about 500 men gathered in a field about 15 km west of the center of Kandahar city. The attack killed police commander Abdul Hakim Jan (who may have been targeted by the bomber) along with 10-50 other police officers. Total reported deaths were 105-125, of whom perhaps 80 died immediately with about 20 dying of injuries by the following day; at least 65 more were injured. [63] Fatalities: 105.
Sources (list under construction):
© 2000-2007, 2008 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 7 July 2008.
Return to Home. Return to Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Unconventional Warfare.