Incidents of Mass Casualty Terrorism - Part I

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston

13 December 1921--A bomb was thrown at the Bolgard palace in Bessarabia (modern day Moldova), killing mostly police and soldiers.  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. 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.) 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.  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.  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.  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.  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. 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. 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.  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.  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.  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. 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. 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. 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. 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.  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. 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. 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.)

 

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. Fatalities: 127.

 

29 August 1997--Attacks on civilians at Hais Rais and Sidi Moussa, Algeria, killed 238. Fatalities: 238.

 

22 September 1997--An attack on civilians at Ben Talha, Algeria, killed 277.  Fatalities: 277.

 

30 December 1997--An attack on civilians at Ami Moussa, Algeria, killed 272.  Fatalities: 272.

 

4 January 1998--Attacks at Had Chekala, Remka, and Ain Tarik, Algeria, killed 172.  Fatalities: 172.

 

11 January 1998--Attacks on a movie theater and mosque at Sidi Hamed, Algeria, killed at least 103 and injured 70. 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. 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. 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.  Fatalities: 217. 

Source: [upon Request]