These maps shows the locations of terrorist strikes resulting in 100 or more fatalities, based on these listings:

• List of worst terrorist acts
  

• Incidents of mass casualty terrorism

1. 13 Dec 1921: bombing of Bolgard palace in Bessarabia (modern Moldova) (100)
2. 16 Apr 1925: bombing of cathedral in Sophia, Bulgaria (160)
   2A. 25 Nov 1940: bombing resulting in sinking of ship carring Jewish immigrants in Haifa, British Palestine (267)
3. 18 May 1973: mid-air bombing of Aeroflot airliner, Siberia (100)
4. 4 Dec 1977: crash of hijacked Malaysian airliner near Malaysia (100)
5. 20 Aug 1978: arson of theater in Abadan, Iran (477)
6. 20 Nov-5 Dec 1979: hostage taking at Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (includes 87 terrorists killed) (240)
7. 23 Sep 1983: crash of Gulf Air flight following mid-air bombing over the UAE (112)
8. 23 Oct 1983: truck bombings of U.S. Marine and French barracks, Beirut, Lebanon (301)
9. 14 May 1985: armed attack on crowds in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka (150)
10. 23 Jun 1985: mid-air bombing of Air India flight off Ireland, and attempted bombing of second flight in Canada (331)
    10A. 6 Nov 1985: hostage taking at Palace of Justice, Bogota, Columbia (includes 50 terrorists killed) (100)
11. 18 Apr 1987: roadway ambush near Alut Oya, Sri Lanka (127)
12. 21 Apr 1987: bombing of bus depot in Columbo, Sri Lanka (106)
13. 29 Nov 1987: mid-air bombing of Korean Air flight near Burma (115)
14. 21 Dec 1988: mid-air bombing of Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland (270)
15. 19 Sep 1989: mid-air bombing of French UTA flight near Bilma, Niger (171)
16. 27 Nov 1989: mid-air bombing of Avianca flight in Bogota, Columbia (110)
17. 3 Aug 1990: armed attack at two mosques in Kathankudy, Sri Lanka (140)
18. 13 Aug 1990: armed attack at mosque in Eravur, Sri Lanka (122)
19. 2 Oct 1990: crash of hijacked PRC airliner in Guangzhou, PRC (132)
20. 12 Mar 1993: 15 bombings in Bombay, India (317)
21. 22 Sep 1993: crash of airliner struck by missile in Sukhumi, Georgia (106)
22. 19 Apr 1995: truck bombing of federal building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA (169)
23. 14-19 June 1996: hostage taking in Budennovsk, Russia, and two failed rescue attempts (143)
24. 23 Nov 1996: crash of hijacked Ethiopian Air flight off Comoros (127)
25. 29 Aug 1997: attacks at Sidi Moussa and Hais Rais, Algeria (238)
26. 22 Sep 1997: attack at Ben Talha, Algeria (277)
27. 30 Dec 1997: attack at Ami Moussa, Algeria (272)
28. 4 Jan 1998: attacks at Had Chekala, Remka, and Ain Tarik, Algeria (182)
29. 11 Jan 1998: attack on movie theater and mosque at Sidi Hamed, Algeria (103)
30. 8 Aug 1998: truck bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Saalam, Tanzania (303)
    30A. 3 Nov 1998: attack on police barracks in Mitu, Columbia (138)
31. 13 Sep 1999: bombing of apartment building in Moscow, Russia (130)
32. 31 Oct 1999: intentional crash of Egypt Air flight off Massachusetts, USA, by pilot (217)
33. 10 Aug 2001: attack on train south of Luanda, Angola (152)
34. 11 Sep 2001: crashing of hijacked planes into World Trade Center, New York City, New York, Pentagon in Alexandria, Virginia, and site in Pennsylvania, USA (2,993)
    34A. 2 May 2002: armed attack on Bojaya, Columbia (119)
    34B. 19 Aug 2002: shootdown of Russia troop helicopter near Khankala, Chechnya, Russia (127)
35. 12 Oct 2002: car bombing outside nightclub in Kuta, Indonesia (202)
36. 26 Oct 2002: hostage taking and attempted rescue in theater in Moscow, Russia (includes 41 terrorists killed) (170)
37. 29 Aug 2003: car bombing outside mosque in Najaf, Iraq (125)
38. 1 Feb 2004: two suicide bombings of political party offices in Irbil, Iraq (109)
39. 21 Feb 2004: armed attack and arson at refugee camp, Uganda (239)
40. 27 Feb 2004: bombing and fire on ferry near Manila, Philippines (118)
41. 2 Mar 2004: multiple suicide bombings at shrines in Kadhimiya and Karbala, Iraq (188)
42. 11 Mar 2004: bombings of four trains in Madrid, Spain (191)
43. 24 Jun 2004: multiple bombings and armed attacks in several cities in Iraq (103)
44. 1-3 Sep 2004: hostage taking at school in Beslan, Russia (includes 35 terrorists killed) (372)
45. 28 Feb 2005: car bombing outside medical clinic in Hilla, Iraq (135)
    45A. 16 Jul 2005: suicide bombing in Musayyib, Iraq (100)
46. 14 Sep 2005: multiple suicide bombings and shooting attacks in Baghdad, Iraq (182)
47. 5 Jan 2006: bombings in Karbala, Ramadi, and Baghdad, Iraq (124)
48. 11 Jul 2006: multiple bombings on commuter trains in Mumbai, India (209)
49. 16 Oct 2006: truck bombing of military convoy near Habarana, Sri Lanka (103)
50. 23 Nov 2006: multiple car bombings in Baghdad, Iraq (202)
51. 22 Jan 2007: multiple bombings in Baghdad area, Iraq (101)
52. 3 Feb 2007: truck bombing in market place in Baghdad, Iraq (137)
53. 6 Mar 2007: two bombings and other attacks on pilgrims, Hilla, Iraq (137)
54. 27 Mar 2007: two truck bombings in Tal Afar, Iraq (153)
    54A. 29 Mar 2007: bombings in Baghdad, Khalis, and Mahmudiya, Iraq (137)
55. 18 Apr 2007: bombings in Baghdad, Iraq (193)
56. 3-10 Jul 2007: hostage taking and subsequent storming of mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan (102)
57. 7 Jul 2007: bombings in Baghdad and Armili, Iraq (182)
58. 14 Aug 2007: multiple truck bombings in Al-Qataniyah and Al-Adnaniyah, Iraq (520)
59. 18 Oct 2007: bombing of motorcade in Karachi, Pakistan (141)
60. 17 Feb 2008: bombing at dogfighting festival in Kandahar, Afghanistan (105)
    60A. 10 Oct 2008: truck bombing in Orakzai, Pakistan (110)
61. 26-29 Nov 2008: multiple gun and grenade attacks and hostage takings in Mumbai, India (174)
    61A. 24 Dec 2008: armed attack on Doroma, D. R. Congo (189)
    61B. 26 Jul 2009: armed attack on Maiduguri, Nigeria (780)
62. 19 Aug 2009: multiple bombings at government sites in Baghdad, Iraq (104)
63. 25 Oct 2009: two vehicle bombings at government buildings in Baghdad, Iraq (155)
64. 28 Oct 2009: bombing at marketplace in Pakistan (119)
65. 8 Dec 2009: five car bombings in Baghdad, Iraq (127)
66. 10 May 2010: multiple bombings in Hilla, Basra, al-Suwayra, and other cities, Iraq (111)
67. 28 May 2010: sabotage and derailing of train, Khemasuli, India (148)
68. 10 Jul 2010: suicide bombings in Kakaghund and Yakaghund, Pakistan (106)
69. 4 Nov 2011: multiple attacks in Damaturu, Nigeria (100)
70. 20 Jan 2012: multiple bombings in Kano, Nigeria (178)
71. 23 Jul 2012: bombings in Taji, Mosul, Baghdad, Dhuluiya, Baquba, and Diyala region, Iraq (116)
72. 16 Aug 2012: bombings in multiple locations in Iraq (106)
73. 9 Sep 2012: bombings in multiple locations in Iraq (106)
74. 10 Jan 2013: bombings in Quetta and Mingora, Pakistan (120)
75. 22 Apr 2013: armed attack on Baga, Nigeria (187)
76. 20 May 2013: bombings in multiple locations in Iraq (113)
77. 17 Sep 2013: armed highway attack near Benisheik, Nigeria (143)
78. 21 Sep 2013: bombings in Baghdad, Beiji, and Mosul (100)
79. 16 Mar 2014: armed attack on Ungwar Sankwai, Ungwar Gata, and Chenshyi, Nigeria (219)
80. 7 May 2014: armed attack on Gamboru Ngala, Nigeria (310)
81. 20 May 2014: multiple bombings in Jos, Nigeria (118)
82. 28 Nov 2014: suicide bombings in Kano, Nigeria (121)
83. 16 Dec 2014: shooting and bombing attack on military boarding school, Peshawar, Pakistan (148)
84. 3 Jan 2015: armed and arson attacks on Baga and Doro Gowon, Nigeria (700)
85. 20 May 2015: four bombings in Sana'a, Yemen (142)
86. 2 Apr 2015: armed attack on college campus in Garissa, Kenya (152)
87. 25 Jun 2015: bombings in Kobani and armed attack in Brakh Bootan, Syria (146)
88. 1 Jul 2015: armed attack on Kukawa, Nigeria (118)
89. 17 Jul 2015: truck bombing in Khan Bani Saad, Iraq (115)
90. 20 Sep 2015: bombings in Maiduguri and Monguno, Nigeria (108)
91. 10 Oct 2015: two suicide bombings at political rally in Ankara, Turkey (102)
92. 31 Oct 2015: mid-air bombing of Russia airliner over Sinai, Egypt (224)
93. 13 Nov 2015: six shooting and bombing attacks in Paris, France (137)
94. 16 Jan 2016: armed attack on residential neigborhoods in Deir ez-Zor, Syria (250)
95. 21 Feb 2016: multiple bombings in Sayyida Zeinab and Homs, Syria (140)

• Listed incidents, each of which killed 100 or more, are 105 in number with half since 2006; a total of 21,266 were killed and 38,471 injured in these incidents.
• The deadliest incident is the 9/11 attacks (#34); 6 incidents killed more than 350 each: #34, 61B, 84, 58, 5, 44.
• The country with the largest number of incidents listed is Iraq with 27 incidents from 2003 to 2015 (total of 3,981 killed in these incidents).
• The next largest number of listed incidents in one country is 13 in Nigeria from 2009 to 2015 (total of 3,253 killed in these incidents).
• The 3 listed incidents in the United States from 1995 to 2001 killed 3,379.
• Listed incidents occurred in 38 modern and former countries:
  • Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bessarabia, British Palestine, Bulgaria, Burundi, China (P.R.), Congo (Dem. Rep.), Colombia, Comoros, Egypt, France, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nigeria, Niger, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United States, United Kingdom, U.S.S.R., and Yemen.
• Of these 105 incidents, 79 (75%) were by Islamist terrorists; of the 70 incidents since 2001, 63 (90%) were by Islamist terrorists.
• The largest number of listed incidents in one year is 10 each in 2007 and 2015.
• Average annual numbers of listed incidents and associated fatalities by decade are:
  • 1920s: 0.2 incidents/yr (26 fatalities/yr)
  • 1930s: 0
  • 1940s: 0.1 incidents/yr (27 fatalities/yr)
  • 1950s-1960s: 0
  • 1970s: 0.4 incidents/yr (92 fatalities/yr)
  • 1980s: 1.1 incidents/yr (189 fatalities/yr)
  • 1990s: 1.7 incidents/yr (312 fatalities/yr)
  • 2000s: 4.0 incidents/yr (993 fatalities/yr)
  • 2010s: 4.9 incidents/yr (795 fatalities/yr)
• Note that this incident list may be incomplete; for discussion of data issues see this page.

© 2006-2012, 2015 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 22 February 2016.
Return to Home. Return to Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Unconventional Warfare.