National 

Counterterrorism 

Center 

2008 Report on Terrorism 

 

30 April 2009
The National Counterterrorism Center 

publishes the NCTC Report on Terrorism in 

electronic format. US Government officials 

and the public may access the report via the 

Internet at: 

http://www.nctc.gov/ 

Information available as of March 20, 2009 

was used for this edition of the report. For 

updated information on attacks, consult the 

Worldwide Incidents Tracking System on the 

Internet at the NCTC public web site. 

Office of the Director of National Intelligence 

National Counterterrorism Center 

Washington, DC 20511 

ISSN Pending 

 
2008 NCTC Report on Terrorism 

CONTENTS 

Foreword 1 

Methodology Utilized to Compile NCTC’s Database of Attacks 4 

NCTC Observations Related to Terrorist Incidents Statistical Material 10 

Trends in Person-borne Improvised Explosive Device (PBIED) vs. Suicide 

Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (SVBIED) Attacks 13 

Trends in Sunni High-Fatality Attacks 16 

Statistical Charts and Graphs 19 

Chronology of High-Fatality Terror Attacks 35 

Academic Letter: Challenges and Recommendations for Measuring Terrorism

United To Protect 
National Counterterrorism Center

FOREWORD

Developing Statistical Information 

Consistent with its statutory mission to serve as the United States (US) government's 

knowledge bank on international terrorism, the National Counterterrorism Center 

(NCTC) is providing the Department of State with required statistical information to 

assist in the satisfaction of its reporting requirements under Section 2656f of title 22 of 

the US Code (USC). The statistical information included in this Annex to the 2008 

Country Reports on Terrorism is drawn from the data that NCTC maintains on the 

www.nctc.gov website. 

Section 2656f(b) of Title 22 of the USC requires the State Department to include in its 

annual report on terrorism "to the extent practicable, complete statistical information on 

the number of individuals, including United States citizens and dual nationals, killed, 

injured, or kidnapped by each terrorist group during the preceding calendar year." 

While NCTC keeps statistics on the annual number of incidents of "terrorism," its ability 

to track the specific groups responsible for each incident involving killings, kidnappings, 

and injuries is significantly limited by the availability of reliable open source information, 

particularly for events involving small numbers of casualties or occurring in remote 

regions of the world. Moreover, specific details about victims, damage, perpetrators, 

and other incident elements are frequently not fully reported in open source information. 

• Therefore, the statistical material in this report is drawn from the incidents of 

"terrorism" that occurred in 2008 as reported in open source media. This information 

is the most comprehensive body of information available to NCTC for compiling data 

to satisfy the above-referenced statistical requirements. 

In deriving its figures for incidents of terrorism, NCTC in 2005 adopted the definition of 

"terrorism" that appears in 22 USC § 2656f(d)(2), i.e., "premeditated, politically 

motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or 

clandestine agents." 

• Through 2004, NCTC compiled statistical data on the basis of a more limited 

methodology tied to the definition of “international terrorism,” which is also contained 

in 22 USC § 2656f. 

• Because of the change in methodology, the NCTC data is only comparable starting 

with the 2005 calendar year data, the highlights of which are contained in the 2005 

Country Reports on Terrorism. 

• Subject to changes in reporting statutes, NCTC anticipates that its future statistics 

will continue to be tied to the broader definition of “terrorism." 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

To record and update attack records, NCTC continues to post information in the 

Worldwide Incidents Tracking System (WITS), the repository for the US government's 

authoritative database on terror attacks, which was unveiled in 2005. A data 

management system with a more comprehensive dataset than those used in years prior 

to 2004, WITS is accessible on the NCTC website at www.nctc.gov, offering the public 

an open and transparent view of the NCTC data. NCTC will ensure that the data posted 

to the website is updated as often as necessary by regularly posting information about 

new or prior attacks. 

Considerations for Interpreting the Data 

Tracking and analyzing terrorist incidents can help us understand some important 

characteristics about terrorism, including the geographic distribution of attacks and 

information about the perpetrators, their victims, and other details. Year-to-year 

changes in the gross number of attacks across the globe, however, may tell us little 

about the international community's effectiveness either for preventing these incidents, 

or for reducing the capacity of terrorists to advance their agenda through violence 

against the innocent. 

NCTC cautions against placing too much emphasis on the use of attack data to gauge 

success or failure against the forces of terrorism. Furthermore, NCTC does not believe 

that a simple comparison of the total number of attacks from year to year provides a 

meaningful measure. 

• Tallying attack data necessarily involves relying exclusively on frequently incomplete 

and ambiguous information—information for these statistics is not derived from 

federal government collection programs created or operated specifically to obtain 

attack data. The quality, accuracy, and volume of open source reporting can vary 

greatly from country to country. As a result, determining whether an attack meets 

the statutory criteria for a terror attack is often difficult and highly subjective. This is 

particularly true if the attack does not involve mass casualties because detailed 

information is not typically available on these events since they are not usually 

subject to heavy media coverage. Furthermore, in the parts of the world where there 

is little press coverage and sparse non-governmental organization presence, terror 

attacks often go unreported. 

• Attack tallies do not exclusively provide a complete picture of the magnitude or 

seriousness of the terrorism challenge confronting a country or region. For example, 

the fact that 50 percent of the attacks in the NCTC database involve no loss of life 

would be only one factor for assessing the danger of terrorism globally. Moreover, 

different factors weigh more heavily than others in assessing the dangers posed by 

terrorism. For example, an attack that kills 100 civilians is likely to be considered 

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National Counterterrorism Center

more alarming than an attack that damages a pipeline but harms no one; however, 

each attack is simply tallied as one incident. 

• Counting protocols are necessary and inevitably require judgment calls that may 

have an impact on results. For example, NCTC protocols dictate that events 

identified as simultaneous and coordinated would be recorded as one attack, as 

would be secondary attacks that targeted first responders. For instance, on the 

morning of August 17, 2005, there were approximately 450 small bomb attacks in 

Bangladesh1

, and because they were coordinated according to a central plan, NCTC 

counted them as a single event. Other valid counting protocols would register these 

attacks as 450 separate attacks. 

• Analyzing attack data from year to year to identify patterns and notable deviations or 

trends in the data is problematic, and may not be meaningful in some cases. The 

availability, quality, and depth of open source reporting vary, making it hard to isolate 

whether a rise or fall of a particular data element from one year to the next is due to 

an increase or decrease of this open source reporting or whether actual events are 

behind the change in the data. 

Despite these limitations, WITS can be a valuable tool for facilitating empirical research 

on terrorism. 

 

1

 “ICN 200574834.” Online posting. Worldwide Incidents Tracking System. Last updated, 12/31/2008. National 

Counterterrorism Center. 3/20/2009 <http://wits.nctc.gov/>. 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

Methodology Utilized to Compile NCTC’s Database of Attacks 

The data provided in WITS consist of incidents in which subnational or clandestine 

groups or individuals deliberately or recklessly attacked civilians or noncombatants 

(including military personnel and assets outside war zones and war-like settings).2

 

Determination of what constitutes a terrorist act, however, can be more art than science; 

information is often incomplete, fact patterns may be open to interpretation, and 

perpetrators' intent is rarely clear. Moreover, information may become available over 

time, changing initial judgments about attacks. Users of this database should therefore 

recognize that reasonable people may differ on whether a particular attack actually 

constitutes terrorism or if it reflects some other form of political violence. NCTC has 

made every effort to limit the degree of subjectivity involved in the judgments, and in the 

interests of transparency, has adopted a set of counting rules that are delineated below. 

Terrorists must have initiated and executed the attack for it to be included in the 

database; failed or foiled attacks, as well as hoaxes, are not included in the database. 

Spontaneous hate crimes without intent to cause mass casualties are excluded, though 

it should be understood that often there is insufficient information to judge whether an 

attack was planned or spontaneous. While genocidal events can be interpreted as the 

most extreme form of politically motivated violence against civilians, attacks in this 

category are excluded, in part because of the inherent difficulty in counting such events 

and because the inevitable undercount does not do justice to the scope and depth of 

such atrocities. Moreover, the question of whether or not acts of genocide should be 

included in the WITS database was posed to a panel of academics at the 2008 Brain 

Trust on Terrorism Metrics. The panel suggested that acts that meet the criteria for 

genocide should be excluded from the database. 

Determining when perpetrators have targeted noncombatants can also be difficult. 

Military personnel and assets outside war zones and war-like settings pose one 

challenge to the noncombatant provision of the definition, while police under military 

command and control, and organized groups of armed civilians inside war zones and 

war-like settings pose another challenge. With the endorsement of the 2007 Brain Trust 

on Terrorism Metrics, NCTC developed a combatant matrix which details the various 

areas of war-like settings and the common actors, such as military police, militias, 

soldiers and other combatant-like actors. The analysts use the matrix in complex cases 

to determine when an act targeting combatant-like actors should be included in WITS. 

The combatant matrix is adjusted as the circumstances in world conflicts change or 

evolve. The distinction between terrorism and insurgency in Iraq was especially 

challenging in previous years, as Iraqis participated in both the Sunni terrorist networks 

and the former-regime-elements’ insurgency, targeting both civilians and combatants, 

and often affecting both populaces. Terrorist attacks against combatants count as 

 

2

 For the precise wording of the statutory definition, see Title 22 US Code § 2656f (d) (2). 

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National Counterterrorism Center

reckless and indiscriminate when terrorists could have reasonably foreseen that their 

attack would result in civilian casualties. Therefore, combatants may be included as 

victims in some attacks when their presence was incidental to an attack aimed at 

noncombatants, and some attacks may be deemed terrorism when they recklessly 

affect civilians when targeting combatants. 

The WITS database contains a field that allows analysts to categorize an incident by 

"event type." Event types are coded in the database as one or more of the following: 

armed attack, arson/firebombing, assassination, assault, barricade/hostage, bombing, 

CBRN, crime, firebombing, hijacking, hoax, kidnapping, near miss/non-attack, other, 

theft, unknown, and vandalism. While some incidents can clearly be coded using this 

taxonomy, other kinds of attacks are more difficult to define. When it can be 

determined, incidents that involve multiple types of attacks are coded with multiple 

event types. Incidents involving mortars, rocket-propelled grenades or missiles 

generally fall under armed attack, although improvised explosive devices (IED), 

including vehicle-borne IEDs (VBIED), fall under bombing. VBIEDs include any IED 

built into or made a part of a vehicle including cars, trucks, bicycles, and motorcycles. 

Suicide events are also captured, but the perpetrator must have died in the attack for 

the event type “suicide” to be included. 

The WITS database categorizes victims of an incident. Civilians, business, students, 

military and police are some of the several dozen victim types captured in WITS. 

Additionally, the nationalities are recorded in WITS where open source reports such 

information. The methodology presumes most victims to be local nationals unless 

otherwise reported in the press. 

In the cases of Iraq and Afghanistan, it is particularly difficult to gather comprehensive 

information about all attacks and to distinguish terrorism from the numerous other forms 

of violence, including crime and sectarian attacks. During the past twelve months, 

analysts have noted a decline in open source reporting in some provinces in 

Afghanistan that have deteriorating security. Thus, WITS has limited attack information 

for these provinces; this is symptomatic of the general difficulty of collecting data in a 

war zone and reinforces our view that the WITS data undercount attacks in Iraq and 

Afghanistan. Finally, separating crime from terrorism can be difficult, particularly when 

the criminal act is used to support future terrorist operations. During the 2007 Brain 

Trust on Terrorism Metrics, outside academics endorsed a decision tree used by 

analysts to determine when a crime committed in support of terrorism would be included 

in WITS. For instance, a kidnapping for ransom by a designated Foreign Terrorist 

Organization (FTO) would be included in WITS, but a bank robbery to fund future 

operations would not. 

In an effort to provide greater granularity and analytic service, in 2007 NCTC introduced 

to the database the concept of "targeting characteristics." The purpose was to capture, 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

where possible, the underlying motivating factors for attacks. Victims and facilities are 

coded to enable searching for violence against specific targets and incidents in which 

Westerners, Christians, and other groups were targeted because of their cultural, 

ethnic, or religious identities. The intent of this field is not to identify all victims who 

happened to be Muslims, Christians, etc., but rather to categorize victims who appeared 

to be targeted because they were Muslims, Christians, etc. 

Traditionally, NCTC has only attributed attacks to perpetrators when a claim of 

responsibility was made or if reporting indicated a belief that a particular perpetrator was 

responsible. Those groups that have already been designated as foreign terrorist 

organizations by the State Department, that have themselves claimed responsibility for 

terrorist actions or status as a terrorist group, or that have been repeatedly and reliably 

suspected of involvement in specific terrorist activities are included in WITS. As noted, 

we often get neither piece of information and as a result, many of the attacks list an 

unknown perpetrator. For instance in 2007, over 60 percent of all attacks were listed as 

having unknown perpetrators. Where the analysts had information, they provided a 

confidence level of likely, plausible or unlikely. In an effort to improve analytic 

capability, and at the request of a panel of outside academics, NCTC added a new 

confidence level in the 2008 data that is associated with perpetrators to assist 

researchers. The new value is “Inferred.” 

In instances where available information provides neither a claim of responsibility nor a 

belief that a particular perpetrator was responsible, NCTC may now infer a perpetrator. 

Such inferences are based on an evaluation of the characteristics of the attack and 

other factors. In cases where the attack characteristics match the modus operandi of a 

single group, or a group is known to be the only one operating in the region, for 

example, an inference is made that associates a group with the attack. If desired, these 

inferences may be filtered out of the result set by excluding the confidence level of 

“Inferred” in the Advanced Search facility of WITS as shown below. 

 

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National Counterterrorism Center

Thus far, this data value is being utilized largely for the inference of “Sunni extremist” 

attacks in some countries and only applies to the 2008 data. Such an inference is 

based upon specific parts of the country in which the attack occurred, the attack method 

used, or both factors. 

NOTE: Users must be aware that such an analytic inference has not been applied to 

earlier years and as such queries must be carefully constructed to avoid fallacious 

conclusions about the change in the number of attacks conducted by Sunni extremists. 

If users do not wish to use this additional analytic inference they can maintain 

consistency across time-series data by filtering out the value as described above. 

Moreover, perpetrator characteristics may change over time. For instance, the 

Chechen rebels were previously categorized as secular/political, but are now 

categorized Sunni extremists because they declared themselves to be the Islamic 

Emirate of the Caucuses in October of 2007 and claimed attacks under this name. 

 

The database also enables greater granularity with respect to the impact of attacks. 

Killed, wounded, and kidnapped figures are provided. Kidnapped victims who were later 

killed are counted as killed; and kidnapped victims either liberated or still in captivity are 

counted as kidnapped. Any attack hitting a facility is now coded with a damage 

estimate of Light ($1 to $500 thousand), Moderate ($500 thousand to $20 million), or 

Heavy (over $20 million). While it is inherently difficult to make damage assessments 

for attacks in different countries with different economic circumstances, these estimates 

allow users to garner a general sense of the overall level of attacks. 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

Representative 2008 Events Judged Not Terrorism 

• On 2 February: In Baghdad, Iraq, families of the Air Force soccer club were given poisoned cakes 

which later killed two children and an adult. Not terrorism – Iraqi police arrested a recently fired 

soccer coach after confirming he had delivered the cakes to the club. 

• 7 February: In Baghdad, Iraq, assailants detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device 

parked in front of a house as Sahwa paramilitary members were conducting a counterterrorism 

raid. Not terrorism – a counterterrorism operation; attack not started by the terrorists, and the 

militia men were in combatant status at the time of the raid. 

• 14 February: In Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq, a minibus exploded in a crowded market place, killing 

four civilians and a child, and injuring between 24 and 30 other civilians. Not terrorism – an 

accident, explosives are often sold on the black market, and this event was likely unintentional 

and lacks premeditation. 

• 25 March: In Al Basrah, Baghdad, al Kut, Al Hillah, An Najaf, and Ad Diwaniyah cities in Iraq, Iraqi 

police and security forces launched a series of counterterrorism operations, resulting in a series of 

retaliatory attacks, killing at least 40 people including children, and wounding 200 others including 

children. Not terrorism – a counterterrorism operation; attack not started by the terrorists, and 

attack targeted combatants. 

• 5 October: In Mosul, Iraq, militants attacked US soldiers raiding a house and a suicide bomber 

detonated his vest to avoid capture, killing three civilians and three children, and injuring one other 

child. Not terrorism – a counterterrorism operation; attack not started by the terrorists, and attack 

targeted combatants. 

• 13 November: In Bangkok, Thailand, an explosive was detonated in the early morning hours at a 

market place where vendors were sleeping. Not terrorism – no political motivation; vendors were 

protesting with a sleep-in against the new owners of a market charging higher prices. 

• 29 November: In Bangkok, Thailand, a grenade was thrown into a crowded market place, injuring 

between 17 and 19 people. Not terrorism – no political motivation; it is believed that 13 Nov. 

victims who were evicted from the market to make room for higher paying vendors were behind 

the retaliatory attack. 

Because terrorism is a tactic used on many fronts by diverse perpetrators in different 

circumstances and with different aims, NCTC cautions against using attack data alone 

to gauge success against the forces of terrorism. NCTC does not believe that a simple 

comparison of the total number of attacks from year to year provides a meaningful 

metric for the following reasons: 

* We continue to refine our counting rules as the study of terrorism evolves. Interaction 

with academics and outside terrorism experts convinces us that there will never be a 

"bright red line" around terrorist attacks, but instead, the definition of terrorism will 

always be a point of thoughtful debate. This evolution in our methodology for counting 

attacks is reflected in WITS and means that some types of year-to-year comparisons 

may be misleading. 

* A quarter of the attacks in the database actually involve no loss of life whatsoever; 

while an attack against a pipeline and a VBIED attack that kills 100 civilians each count 

as one attack in the database, such a comparison hardly seems meaningful. 

 8 
National Counterterrorism Center

* The nature of this exercise necessarily involves incomplete and ambiguous 

information. The motivation behind attacks, specifically those that do not involve mass 

casualties, can be particularly difficult to discern. 

* As additional sources of information are found and as more information becomes 

available from remote parts of the globe, we will continue to enrich the database. In the 

case of 2005, for example, attack totals in Nepal grew dramatically. However, this data 

cannot be meaningfully compared to 2004 data because it is not clear whether attacks 

on civilians were actually occurring at a substantially higher rate, or if the upward trend 

was simply the result of changes in reporting and collection. 

* Finally, the very approach to counting attacks could skew results. For instance, on 

the morning of 17 August 2005 there were about 450 small bomb attacks in 

Bangladesh.3

 WITS counted these as one incident because we judged the individual 

attacks to all be part of a larger coordinated attack; an argument could be made that 

these were 450 separate attacks. 

In summary, tracking attacks against civilians and noncombatants can help us 

understand important trends related to the nature of the attacks, where they are 

occurring, victims, and perpetrators. However, year-to-year changes in the gross 

number of attacks across the globe may tell us nothing about the effectiveness of the 

international community in preventing attacks, reducing the capacity of extremists to 

wage war, or preventing extremists from advancing their agenda through violence 

against the innocent. 

 

3

 Ibid., “ICN 200574834.” 

9 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

NCTC Observations Related to Terrorist Incidents Statistical Material 

Approximately 11,800 terrorist attacks against noncombatants occurred in various 

countries during 2008, resulting in over 54,000 deaths, injuries and kidnappings. 

Compared to 2007, attacks decreased by 2,700, or 18 percent, in 2008 while deaths 

due to terrorism decreased by 6,700, or 30 percent. As was the case last year, the 

largest number of reported terrorist attacks occurred in the Near East, but unlike 

previous years, South Asia had the greater number of fatalities. These two regions 

were also the locations for 75 percent of the 235 high-casualty attacks (those that killed 

10 or more people) in 2008. 

 

• Of the 11,770 reported attacks, about 4,600, or nearly 40 percent, occurred in the 

Near East where approximately 5,500 fatalities, or 35 percent of the worldwide total, 

were reported for 2008. Attacks in Iraq have continued to decline since 2007. 

• Another 35 percent of the attacks occurred in South Asia with Afghanistan and 

Pakistan registering increased attacks. Attacks in Pakistan more than doubled in 

2008. 

• Violence against noncombatants in Africa, particularly related to fatalities associated 

with turmoil in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, rose 140 percent 

in 2008, totaling about 2,200 fatalities in comparison to approximately 900 fatalities 

for 2007. 

• The number of reported attacks in 2008 fell in the Western Hemisphere by about 25 

percent, and in East Asia and the Pacific by 30 percent. 

Terrorist use of kidnappings for ransom increased significantly in 2008. The number of 

kidnappings in South Asia during 2008 rose by 45 percent, although kidnappings 

worldwide remained about the same. The number of kidnappings in Pakistan rose 

sharply by 340 percent and in Afghanistan by about 100 percent, while in India the 

number rose by 30 percent. 

Attackers 

The perpetrators of over 7,000 attacks, or over 60 percent, in 2008 could not be 

determined from open source information. Of the remaining incidents, as many as 150 

various subnational groups—a third of them well-known foreign terrorist 

organizations4—or clandestine agents were connected to an attack in various ways, 

including as a claimant, as the accused, and as the confirmed perpetrator. In most 

instances, open source reporting contains little confirmed or corroborating information 

that identifies the organizations or individuals responsible for a terrorist attack. In many 

reports, attackers are alleged to be tied to local or well-known terrorist groups but there 

is little subsequent reporting that verifies these connections. Moreover, pinpointing 

 

4

 Foreign Terrorist Organizations are designated by the State Department under a separate process. 

 10 
National Counterterrorism Center

attackers becomes even more difficult as extremist groups splinter or merge with others, 

make false claims, or deny allegations. 

• According to open source reports, the Taliban, more than any other group, claimed 

credit for the largest number of attacks and the highest fatality totals. 

• In contrast, al-Shabaab al-Islamiya [Muslim Youth Movement] was the group with 

the seventh highest total of claimed attacks but was the second deadliest group. 

 

No terrorist attack occurred last year that approached the sophistication of planning and 

preparations that were characteristic of the 9/11 attacks. The Mumbai attacks—

although not the first of such style attacks—remind us, however, that terrorists can carry 

out deadly attacks using less sophisticated tactics. Reporting points to a steadfast alQa'ida that is planning attacks in northwest Pakistan, and was able to expand its 

propaganda campaign through new audio releases in 2008 to invigorate supporters, win 

converts, and gain recruits while al-Qa’ida in Iraq and other al-Qa’ida linked groups 

carried out several successful attacks. The following were according to open sources: 

• The al-Qa’ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) attacked a police 

academy in Les Issers, Algeria, killing 43 people and wounding 45 others.5

• Al-Qa’ida in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack at the US Embassy in Sanaa 

that killed 10 people and wounded three others.6

Types of Attacks 

As was the case in 2007, most attacks in 2008 were perpetrated by terrorists applying 

conventional fighting methods such as armed attacks, bombings, and kidnappings. 

Terrorists continued their practice of coordinated attacks that included secondary 

attacks on first responders at attack sites, and they continued to reconfigure weapons 

and other materials to create improvised explosive devices. 

• Attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan accounted for about 55 percent of all 

attacks cataloged in WITS. 

• According to open sources, the Taliban claimed responsibility for a food poisoning 

attack on a provincial headquarters in Nurestan, Afghanistan that sickened 261 

government employees and police.7

 

• Suicide attacks declined from 525 in 2007 to 404 in 2008. This is largely due to 

declining violence in Iraq. 

• Attacks by female suicide bombers accounted for almost 9 percent of all suicide 

attacks worldwide, and for 15 percent of all suicide attacks in Iraq. 

 

5

 Ibid., “ICN 200809075.” 

6

 Ibid., “ICN 200809446.” 

7

 Ibid., “ICN 200809457.” 

11 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

• 2008 witnessed a suicide bombing attack by a naturalized US Citizen in Somalia. 

Victims and Targets of Attacks 

As has been the case since 2005, substantial numbers of victims of terrorist attacks in 

2008 were Muslim. 

• Almost 50,000 individuals worldwide were either killed or injured by terrorist attacks 

in 2008. Based upon a combination of reporting and demographic analysis of the 

countries involved, well over 50 percent of the victims were Muslims, and most were 

victims of attacks in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. 

Open source reporting identifies approximately 65 percent of the almost 50,000 

casualties of terror as simply civilians, and therefore actual tallies of specific categories 

of victims cannot be determined. However, the reporting does yield some insights 

about the demographics of these victims. 

 

• Children remained disproportionately affected by terrorism, with a 10 percent rise in 

the number of child victims in 2008 while overall numbers declined. 

• Diplomatic officials also saw a rise in the number of attempts against them and a 

large increase in victims from 12 victims in 2007 to 47 in 2008. 

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National Counterterrorism Center

Trends in Person-borne Improvised Explosive Device (PBIED) vs. Suicide Vehicleborne Improvised Explosive Device (SVBIED) Attacks

During 2008, suicide vehicle bombings in Iraq fell to levels comparable with the use of 

suicide bombers wearing a vest. From 2005 to 2007 in Iraq, suicide vehicle-borne 

improvised explosive device (SVBIED) attacks outnumbered person-borne improvised 

explosive device (PBIED) attacks by approximately three to one. Over the course of 

2008, insurgents began to shift techniques, tactics, and procedures, reducing the use of 

SVBIED attacks in favor of PBIED in Iraq. In Iraq, there were a total of 100 PBIED 

attacks in 2008 and 92 in 2007 resulting in a 69 percent increase from 2006 over the 

course of two years. 

• Al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI) networks have been disrupted by coalition forces targeting 

SVBIED making factories, resulting in a drop in the supply and use of such 

devices. 

• The number of female suicide bombers increased significantly in Iraq this year, 

from five in 2007 to 33 in 2008. Due to increased security measures in Iraq, 

insurgents adapted and began utilizing females to circumvent security measures, 

taking advantage of cultural restrictions on physical contact between males and 

females. 

Conversely, the rest of the world has experienced a decrease in the number of PBIED 

attacks the last two years, suggesting a global shift in favor of SVBIED attacks. The 

shift is progressing slower in Afghanistan and Pakistan but much faster in Africa. This 

further proves that terrorists will continually update their methods to carry out 

spectacular attacks that influence and create media exposure for their cause, an 

example being the SVBIED attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad in September. 

• Pakistan in 2008 recorded a 50-50 split in the number of PBIED attacks and 

SVBIED attacks; however, in 2007 the split was 58.5 percent (PBIED) versus 

41.5 percent (SVBIED). Afghan insurgents have closed the disparity as well, 

45.2 percent of suicide attacks in 2008 were SVBIED attacks versus 33.6 

percent in 2007. 

• In Africa, insurgents carried out a total of 16 SVBIED attacks the last two years, 

compared to only one from 2005-2006. This is four times more than the number 

of PBIED attacks over the last two years. 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

Some double counting occurs on the following charts when PBIEDs and SVBIEDs were used in a single attack. 

Iraq PBIED and SVBIED

2005 to 2008

71

59

92 100

274

175

271

117

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2005

2006

2007

2008

PBIED

SVBIED

Afghanistan PBIED and SVBIED

2005 to 2008

7

39

75

57

8

51

38

47

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2005

2006

2007

2008

PBIED

SVBIED

 14 
National Counterterrorism Center

Pakistan PBIED and SVBIED

2005 to 2008

0

3

24

29

0

2

17

29

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2005

2006

2007

2008

PBIED

SVBIED

Rest of World PBIED and SVBIED

2005 to 2008

16

7

10

15

3

5

10

19

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

2005

2006

2007

2008

PBIED

SVBIED

15 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

Trends in Sunni High-Fatality Attacks 

According to the WITS data from 2004 to 2008, the frequency of high-fatality attacks 

(those attacks that killed at least ten people) associated with Sunni extremists has 

increased since the first quarter of 2004. Since 2004, a total of 25 countries have 

suffered at least one high-fatality attack perpetrated by Sunni extremists. Iraq was the 

country with the largest number of such attacks. 

Worldwide High-Fatality Attacks Associated with Sunni Extremists by Quarter

2004 to 2008

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2004 Q1

2004 Q2

2004 Q3

2004 Q4

2005 Q1

2005 Q2

2005 Q3

2005 Q4

2006 Q1

2006 Q2

2006 Q3

2006 Q4

2007 Q1

2007 Q2

2007 Q3

2007 Q4

2008 Q1

2008 Q2

2008 Q3

2008 Q4

Attacks

The frequency of such attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, when removed from worldwide 

totals, has increased since 2004. High fatality attacks in the rest of the world remained 

level until late 2007 when the frequency more than doubled and now accounts for half 

or more of all such attacks. The upward pace of attacks outside of Iraq and Afghanistan 

continued through 2008 until, for the first time8, the number of high-fatality attacks 

exceeded the number of such attacks in these two countries. Data from the fourth 

quarter of 2007 indicated the rest of the world trended upward, while Iraq and 

Afghanistan trended downward beginning in mid-2007. 

Countries where high-fatality Sunni attacks occurred in 2008 included Afghanistan, 

Algeria, China, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Mauritania, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and 

Yemen. Countries that sustained their first9

 high-fatality attack in 2008 perpetrated by 

Sunni extremists included China, Mauritania, and Syria. 

 

8

 For the first time since 1 Jan. 2004. Attacks prior to this date were unavailable for comparison. 9

 Attacks prior to 1 Jan 2004 were unavailable for comparison. 

 16 
National Counterterrorism Center

Comparison of High-Fatality Sunni Attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan 

versus Rest of World from 2004 to 2008

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

2004 Q1

2004 Q2

2004 Q3

2004 Q4

2005 Q1

2005 Q2

2005 Q3

2005 Q4

2006 Q1

2006 Q2

2006 Q3

2006 Q4

2007 Q1

2007 Q2

2007 Q3

2007 Q4

2008 Q1

2008 Q2

2008 Q3

2008 Q4

Attacks RoW

Attacks AF and IZ

Sunni High-Fatality Attacks Grouped by Month of Attack

2004 to 2008

37

44

42

52

61

53

46

45

48

42

26

36

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Attacks

17 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

For every year after 2004, the frequency of high-fatality attacks perpetrated by Sunni 

extremists has peaked between the months of April and September and declined 

between the months of October and December. This cyclical pattern corresponds with 

the Islamic post-holy month of Ramadan celebration, the Eid ul-Fitr, and the Hajj 

pilgrimage to Mecca, but it is not clear if there is a causal correlation. 

Rate of Claims by AQI

2007 to 2008

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Jan 2007

Feb 2007

Mar 2007

Apr 2007

May 2007

Jun 2007

Jul 2007

Aug 2007

Sep 2007

Oct 2007

Nov 2007

Dec 2007

Jan 2008

Feb 2008

Mar 2008

Apr 2008

May 2008

Jun 2008

Jul 2008

Aug 2008

Sep 2008

Oct 2008

Nov 2008

Dec 2008

Claimed Attacks

Suspected Attacks

Another trend discovered in the WITS data was in the frequency of claims of highfatality Sunni attacks in Iraq. A decline in claims by al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI) was noted 

beginning in mid-2007, and has continued to date. The decline in the number of 

claimed attacks could be attributed to successful operations against media operatives of 

the group, but the rate of attacks suspected by AQI increased inversely indicating that 

AQI remained committed to attacking Iraqi civilians and infrastructure. 

 

 18 
National Counterterrorism Center

Statistical Charts and Graphs 

Chart 1 - Lethality - Comparison of Fatalities and Incidents by Region 2,987 762 292 5,5285,826 370 718978 774 4,594 4,354 352

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Africa East Asia and

Pacific

Europe and

Eurasia

Near East South Asia Western

Hemisphere

Dead - 15,765

Number of attacks - 11,770

19 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

Chart 2 - Comparison of Attacks and Victims by Region 762 292 5,528 5,826

370

3,918

1,573

1,089

15,820

11,227

1,002

277

43

849

2,477

210

718

978

774

4,594

4,354

352

2,987

497

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

Africa East Asia and

Pacific

Europe and

Eurasia

Near East South Asia Western

Hemisphere

Dead Wounded

Hostage Attacks

 20 
National Counterterrorism Center

Chart 3 - Deaths by Method

Armed Attack - 7,698

Bombing - 7,424

Suicide - 3,288

Assault - 1,220

Kidnapping - 776

Barricade/Hostage - 

398

Other - 615

Arson/Firebombing - 

815

15,765 Total Deaths

There is some double counting when multiple methods are used.

21 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

Chart 4 - Deaths by Perpetrator Category

Islamic Extremist 

(Sunni) - 8,284

Christian 

Extremist - 932

Other - 906

Unknown - 3,721

Secular/Political/

Anarchist - 2,513

15,765 Total Deaths

Some double counting when joint claims were made. Categories include attacks either claimed, 

suspected, or inferred.

 22 
National Counterterrorism Center

Chart 5 - Deaths by Victim Category

Police - 2,528

Civilian - 9,566

Politically Affiliated - 227

Business - 429

Government - 556 Child - 816

Military/Security Forces - 

1,711

Unknown - 198

Other - 550

15,765 Total Deaths

Children were double counted, typically as either civilians or students.

23 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

Chart 6 - Deaths by Country

5,016

2,293

1,989

1,278

1,113

932

428

360

325

314

287

215

172

136

128

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

Iraq

Pakistan

Afghanistan

Somalia

India

Congo, Dem. Rep.

Thailand

Sudan

Sri Lanka

Colombia

Philippines

Russia

Chad

Algeria

Lebanon

Fatality

 24 
National Counterterrorism Center

Chart 7 - US Citizen Fatalities by Country

Numbers provided by the Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs

Iraq - 21

Afghanistan - 4

India - 6

Sudan -1

Yemen - 1

33 Total US Deaths

Numbers provided by Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs

 

25 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

Chart 8 - US Fatalities as a Share of Total Fatalities

Numbers provided by the Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs

US Fatalities - 33

Non-US 

Fatalities - 

15,732

 

 26 
National Counterterrorism Center

Chart 9 - Kidnappings by Country

1,264

584

371

366

343

310

275

250

234

193

158

102

85

70

44

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

Pakistan

Afghanistan

Iraq

India

Congo, Dem Rep

Gaza Strip

Central African Rep

Nepal

Philippines

Colombia

Sudan

Libya

Somalia

Nigeria

Egypt

Hostage

27 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

Chart 10 - Primary Methods Used in Attacks

Armed Attack - 5,993

Bombing - 4,131

Suicide - 405

Assault - 451

Kidnapping - 1,125

Arson/Firebombing - 535

Unknown - 247

Other - 188

11,770 attacks

Some double counting occurred when multiple methods were used.

 28 
National Counterterrorism Center

Chart 11 - Injuries by Weapon

Explosive - 15,307

Vehicle bomb - 8,588

IED - 21,629

Other - 1,673

Primitive - 1,249

Missile/Rocket - 

1,491

Firebomb/Incendiary - 

1,544

Grenade - 2,332

Mortar/Artillery - 

3,581

Firearm - 7,319

34,124 Injuries

Double counting occurred when multiple weapons were used.

29 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

Chart 12 - All Attacks Involving Facilities by Category 

Checkpoint - 525

Other - 889

Government - 332

Energy Infrastructure - 

339

Police - 279

Military - 231

Transportation 

Infrastructure - 171

Bus - 134

Unknown - 163

Communications - 129

School/Educational - 

194

Residence - 1,007

Community - 1,132

Public Place/Retail - 

846

Vehicle - 2,661

7,469 Facilities Struck

 30 
National Counterterrorism Center

Chart 13 - Attacks Grouped by Fatality Range 235387 1,556 2,889 6,703

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Have 10 or more fatalities. 

Have between 5 to 9 fatalities. 

Have between 2 to 4 fatalities.

Have only 1 fatality.

Have 0 fatalities. 

11,770 attacks

31 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

Chart 14 - US Citizen Terrorism Kidnappings by Country

Numbers provided by the Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs

Panama - 1

Afghanistan - 4

5 Total US Kidnappings

Numbers provided by Department of State - Bureau of Consular 

 

 32 
National Counterterrorism Center

Chart 15 - Comparison of Attacks by Victims

Dead - 15,765

Wounded - 34, 124

Hostage - 4,858

54,747 Total Victims

11,770 Total Attacks

33 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

Chart 16 - Attacks & Deaths Compared - 2005 to 2008

3,467

6,631

6,210

3,258

7,690

7,914

8,296

8,512

8,242

13,345

13,606

5,016

6,318

7,123

8,902

10,749

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

2005

2006

2007

2008

2005

2006

2007

2008

Attacks

Deaths

IRAQ Only Excluding IRAQ

 34 
National Counterterrorism Center

Chronology of High-Fatality Terror Attacks 

High-fatality terror attacks were acts of violence that meet the statutory criteria for 

terrorism and involve 10 or more deaths. 

January 

On 1 January 2008, late in the afternoon, in the Sab'ah Nisan district of Baghdad, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) he was wearing among Sunni 

mourners in a house in the eastern Zayyunah neighborhood, killing at least 33 civilians and 

several members of Iraqi intelligence, wounding 38 civilians, and damaging the house and 

several vehicles. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility. 

On 1 January 2008, between midnight and 4:00 AM, in Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria, armed 

assailants fired upon and threw dynamite at the Borokiri police headquarters, killing seven 

civilians and three police officers, and damaging the police station and three vehicles. The 

assailants then moved to and fired upon the Trans-Amadi police headquarters, killing one police 

officer and one civilian, wounding one police officer, and damaging the police station. 

Continuing the attack, the assailants then fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and firearms at 

the Presidential Hotel, killing one police officer, wounding several civilians, and damaging the 

hotel. The Niger Delta Vigilantes claimed responsibility and threatened additional attacks. 

On 2 January 2008, at about 12:30 PM, in the Ba'qubah al Jadidah district of Ba'qubah, Diyala, 

Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near a checkpoint 

manned by a local Sahwa Council, killing a council leader, three other members, two police 

officers and four civilians; wounding between 15 and 17 civilians, five Sahwa council members, 

and one police officer; and damaging the checkpoint and several nearby vehicles and buildings. 

The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility. 

On 3 January 2008, in Khash Rud, Nimruz, Afghanistan, assailants detonated a vehicle-borne 

improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a group of police and road construction workers and, 

once additional police officers arrived at the scene, a suicide bomber detonated an improvised 

explosive device (IED) in their midst, killing 13 police officers and two Indian engineers, 

wounding two police officers, one engineer, and one civilian. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

On 6 January 2008, at about 12:00 PM, in the Karradah district of Baghdad, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at an Army Day celebration, killing six 

soldiers, four police officers and between three and seven civilians; wounding as many as 19 

civilians and seven soldiers and police officers; and damaging several civilian vehicles and an 

Iraq military vehicle. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 7 January 2008, in the 'Azamiyah district of Baghdad, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated an 

improvised explosive device (IED) at the entrance of the Sunni Dawa compound in the northern 

Sab' Abkar area, killing the leader, his son, four other members of the 'Azamiyah Sahwa Council 

and three Dawa employees, wounding a number of other members, and damaging the office. 

As the wounded were being treated, a second suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne IED 

35 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

(VBIED), wounding several members of the Sahwa Council. As a result of both attacks, the 

council leader and at least 13 council members as well as the three Dawa employees were 

killed and between 20 and 28 members and civilians were wounded. The Islamic State of Iraq 

(ISI) claimed responsibility. 

On 10 January 2008, in GPO Chowk, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, outside of the Lahore High 

Court, a suicide bomber approached a group of riot police and detonated the improvised 

explosive device (IED) strapped to his body, killing 17 police officers, eight civilians, wounding at 

least 80 people, and destroying at least six vehicles. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 14 January 2008, at about 7:45 PM, in the Quaidabad neighborhood of Karachi, Sindh, 

Pakistan, assailants detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) inside a 

market, killing 10 civilians, wounding at least 52 others, and damaging several shops. No group 

claimed responsibility. 

On 16 January 2008, at 8:00 AM, in Okkampitiya Ihalagama, Uva, Sri Lanka, armed assailants 

detonated a bomb near a passenger bus, killing and injuring an undetermined amount of people 

and destroying the bus. Immediately after the explosion, the assailants fired on the fleeing 

passengers, killing and injuring another undetermined amount of people. Authorities reported 25 

civilians, one Red Cross worker killed, 53 civilians and 10 children injured. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elm (LTTE) was 

responsible. 

On 17 January 2008, at about 5:00 PM, in southern Ba'qubah, Diyala, Iraq, a suicide bomber 

wearing an improvised explosive device (IED) attacked the Shiite Shafta Mosque as 

worshippers were observing Ashura religious rites, killing 11 Shiite civilians, wounding 15 

others, and damaging the front of the mosque. Although no group claimed responsibility, it was 

suspected that the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) perpetrated this attack. 

On 17 January 2008, at about 6:55 PM, in Jhangi Mohallah, Peshawar, North-West Frontier, 

Pakistan, an armed suicide bomber entered the Mirza Qasim Baig mosque and opened fire on 

the people inside. He then detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) strapped to his 

body, killing 11 civilians, one child, injuring 23 civilians, two police officers, and damaging the 

mosque. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed Lashkar i Jhangvi was 

responsible. 

On 17 January 2008, at about noon, in Bakara market, Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, 

assailants remotely detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) as a military convoy 

passed, killing two soldiers and damaging a vehicle. The remaining soldiers and the assailants 

exchanged gunfire, launched mortars, and threw grenades, killing 18 civilians and five soldiers, 

wounding 89 civilians and 20 children, and damaging several residences and the market. AlShabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

On 17 January 2008, in Tanamalwila, Uva, Sri Lanka, armed assailants fired on a group of 

people, killing eight civilians and two police officers. No group claimed responsibility, although it 

was widely believed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible. 

 36 
National Counterterrorism Center

Between 18 January 2008 and 19 January 2008, near Kalonge, Sud-Kivu, Democratic Republic 

of the Congo, armed assailants fire upon villagers, killing 43 civilians. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed that the National Congress for the Defense of the 

People (CNDP) was responsible. 

On 18 January 2008, beginning at around 10:00 AM, in An Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar, Iraq, armed 

assailants attacked a procession of Shiite pilgrims observing the Day of Ashura. At around 2:00 

PM, in a coordinated attack, armed assailants attacked up to four police stations and a mobile 

police patrol with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), small arms, and grenades and 

subsequently stormed a school. In total, seven police officers, four civilians, and two children 

were killed, between 40-53 civilians wounded, and the police station, school and one police 

vehicle damaged. The following day, after storming the mosque, police officers found a number 

of IEDs and booby-traps inside the mosque which were safely destroyed in a controlled 

detonation. Although no group claimed responsibility, it was widely believed the Jund al-Samaa 

perpetrated this attack. 

On 21 January 2008, at about 6:30 PM, in a village between Tikrit and Bayji, Salah ad Din, Iraq, 

a suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) he was wearing inside a 

communal hall, killing one child, between 12 and 17 civilians, wounding between nine and 21 

civilians, one government official and causing the partial collapse of the hall. No group claimed 

responsibility, although authorities believed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

On 23 January 2008, between 4:10 and 4:30 PM, in the Zanjili district of western Mosul, 

Ninawa, Iraq, authorities destroyed an improvised explosive device (IED) near a residence 

being used as an arms cache causing an estimated 15 tons of ordnance to explode, killing 

between 11 and 31 civilians, including several children, three Iraqi soldiers, wounding between 

127 and 217 civilians including several children, seven Iraqi soldiers, damaging between 35 and 

100 homes and several cell phone towers. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 24 January 2008, in Kabithigollewa, Anuradhapura, North Central Province, Sri Lanka, 

authorities discovered two graves with 16 bodies. The bodies were bullet-riddled with hands 

bound behind their backs. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the 

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible. 

On 25 January 2008, at 10:35 AM, in Beirut, Beyrouth, Lebanon, assailants detonated a vehicleborne improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing two police officers and nine civilians, 

wounding 36 civilians, and damaging over 40 vehicles. No group claimed responsibility. 

February 

Between 1 February 2008 and 3 February 2008, in N'Djamena, Chari-Baguirmi, Chad, about 

2,000 assailants stormed the city in an attempted coup targeting the President of Chad and 

exchanged small arms and mortar fire with government troops, killing at least 160 civilians, 

wounding at least 1,000 others, and causing unspecified damage to the community. During the 

attack, on 3 February 2008, assailants fired a mortar at the residence of the Saudi Arabian 

37 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

ambassador, killing one embassy worker and one child and damaging the diplomatic residence. 

The assailants eventually pulled back from the capital but threatened subsequent attacks on the 

airport. The United Front for Democratic Change claimed responsibility. 

On 1 February 2008, at about 10:20 AM and 10:40 AM, in Baghdad, Iraq, assailants remotely 

detonated improvised explosive devices (IED) worn by two female suicide bombers in Suq al 

Ghazl pet market, located in Ar Rusafa district in central Baghdad, and in a bird market, located 

in Baghdad al Jadidah, a predominately Shiite area in southeastern Baghdad, killing 99 people, 

including civilians, children, and shop workers; wounding between 145 and 196 others; and 

damaging at least 20 shops, 100 pets and birds, and several vehicles. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

On 2 February 2008, in Dambulla, Central Province, Sri Lanka, assailants detonated an 

improvised explosive device (IED) inside a passenger bus, killing many people, including 

children, injuring many more, including children, and destroying the vehicle. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was 

responsible. 

On 3 February 2008, in the morning, in Waberi district of Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, 

assailants remotely detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) as a government vehicle 

carrying soldiers passed but hit a minibus instead, killing eight civilians and three children, 

wounding seven civilians and three children, and damaging the minibus. No group claimed 

responsibility, although al-Shabaab al-Islamiya denied responsibility. 

On 3 February 2008, at about 2:15 PM, in Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka, inside the 

Colombo Fort Railway Station, a suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device 

(IED) strapped to her body, killing eight civilians, four children, injuring 100 people, and 

damaging the station. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the 

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible. 

On 4 February 2008, at about 7:30 AM, in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan, a suicide bomber 

drove a motorcycle into a military bus and detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive 

device (VBIED), killing seven soldiers, three civilians; wounding 10 soldiers, 15 civilians, two 

children; and destroying the military bus, damaging a school bus, several other vehicles and 

several nearby buildings. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 4 February 2008, at about 3:45 PM, in Weli Oya, North Central Province, Sri Lanka, 

assailants detonated a claymore inside a bus, killing seven students (three children and four 

adults), five soldiers, one civilian, injuring 17 people, and destroying the bus. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was 

responsible. 

On 4 February 2008, in Kajo Kaji, Al Istiwa'iyah al Wusta, Sudan, armed assailants fired upon a 

community, killing 136 civilians and looting several residences. No group claimed responsibility, 

but it was widely believed that the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) was responsible. However, the 

LRA denied responsibility. 

 38 
National Counterterrorism Center

On 5 February 2008, at about 8:00 PM, in Bender Cassim, Bari, Somalia, assailants 

simultaneously threw two grenades into crowded neighborhoods, killing 21 civilians, wounding 

100 others, and damaging two restaurants. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

On 9 February 2008, at night, in Nahkai, Charsadda, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, during an 

Awami National Party (ANP) election rally, a suicide bomber approached the stage and 

detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) strapped to his body, killing 25 people, two 

police officers, injuring 29 people, six children, three police officers, two soldiers, one journalist 

and one political party member. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 10 February 2008, from 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM, near Tall Abtah, Ninawa, Iraq, armed 

assailants riding in approximately 25 cars fired upon two Sahwa Council villages with rocketpropelled grenades (RPG), mortars, and small arms, killing six Sahwa Council paramilitary 

members, four children, and two civilians; wounding 10 other civilians; and damaging both 

villages. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Islamic State of 

Iraq (DII) was responsible. 

On 10 February 2008, at about 4:30 PM, in Yathrib, Salah ad Din, Iraq, a suicide bomber 

attempted to detonate a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a checkpoint 

jointly manned by Sahwa Council paramilitary members and police officers. The security forces 

fired upon the suicide bomber, causing the VBIED to explode near a public market that was 20 

yards from the checkpoint, killing 20 civilians, including several children, three Sahwa Council 

paramilitary members; wounding between 39 and 45 other civilians, including several children; 

and damaging several shops in the market and the checkpoint. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 11 February 2008, at about noon, near Hurriya Square in the southern Jadriya neighborhood 

of the Karradah district of Baghdad, Iraq, assailants simultaneously detonated two vehicle-borne 

improvised explosive devices (VBIED) near the Headquarters of the Support and Salvation 

Councils building, killing 14 civilians, six Sahwa Council paramilitary members, and one Iraqi 

soldier; wounding 19 paramilitary members, 16 civilians, nine soldiers, and two Sunni Sahwa 

Council tribal leaders; and damaging dozens of cars, a government building, a Shiite political 

party building, and a gas station. The assailants conducted the attack during a meeting of 

Sahwa Council chieftains from Al Anbar province. The Islamic state of Iraq (ISI) claimed 

responsibility. 

On 11 February 2008, at about 12:55 PM, in Edak near Mir Ali, Federally Administered Tribal 

Areas, Pakistan, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device 

(VBIED) in a political motorcade, killing 10 political affiliates, wounding 13 others and damaging 

a vehicle. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 15 February 2008, at about 10:45 PM, near Daspalla, in Nayagarh, Orissa, India, 

approximately 500 assailants fired upon a Police Training School (PTS), a district police station, 

and the district armory, killing 15 police officers and one civilian, wounding nine police officers 

and one civilian and damaging all three facilities. The assailants also stole a cache of arms and 

39 
2008 Report on Terrorism 

ammunition in a bus. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the 

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was responsible. 

On 16 February 2008, in Parachinar, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan, during a 

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) rally, a suicide bomber drove his vehicle into the office of a 

candidate and detonated his vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing 41 

people, six children, injuring 110 people, damaging 10 vehicles, seven shops and the 

candidate's office. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 17 February 2008, at about 11:00 AM, in Bagh Pul, Kandahar, Kandahar, Afghanistan, a 

suicide bomber approached a crowd of approximately 500 people, who were gathered at a dog 

fighting event, and detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) strapped to his body, killing 

90 civilians, six children, several private security guards, one police officer, injuring dozens of 

civilians, and damaging many vehicles. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely 

believed the Taliban was responsible. 

On 18 February 2008, at 2:45 PM, in Spin Buldak, Kandahar, Afghanistan, at the Wesh Bazaar, 

a suicide bomber drove his vehicle into a Canadian Army patrol and detonated his vehicle-borne 

improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing 37 civilians, injuring 30 others, three Canadian 

soldiers, destroying 100 shops and at least one military vehicle. The Taliban claimed 

responsibility. 

On 18 February 2008, in the evening, in Bakara market in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, 

assailants fired upon government forces, causing retaliatory mortar fire, killing four police 

officers and six civilians, wounding 15 civilians, and damaging several residences and several 

military vehicles. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 19 February 2008, at about 8:00 PM, in the Sab'ah Nisan district of Baghdad, Iraq, an 

improvised explosive device (IED), hidden on the bed of a truck prepared for launching rockets, 

exploded as police officers were attempting to defuse two of the rockets in the eastern Ubaydi 

neighborhood, killing 14 police officers, wounding between 27 and 45 others, and damaging 10 

vehicles. The same launch site was previously used to fire rockets at two United States military 

outposts, leading police to search the area. The Mahdi Army (JAM) claimed responsibility. 

On 19 February 2008, at about 5:00 AM, in Li Yubu, Gharb al Istiwa'iyah, Sudan, about 400 

armed assailants fired upon a village, killing seven soldiers, three civilians and one government 

official, kidnapping 20 civilians and seven children, burning 70 residences and damaging a 

trading center. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that the Lord's 

Resistance Army (LRA) was responsible. 

On 22 February 2008, at about 4:00 PM, near Sarbanda, in Matta, North-West Frontier, 

Pakistan, assailants detonated two improvised explosive devices (IED) next to a wedding party 

motorcade, killing 10 civilians, four children, wounding eight children, five civilians, and 

damaging two vehicles. Police found a third IED nearby and safely disabled it. No group claimed 

responsibility. 

 40 
National Counterterrorism Center

On 24 February 2008, at about 3:00 PM, near Al Iskandariyah, Babil, Iraq, a suicide bomber 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) he was wearing inside a tent set up for pilgrims 

traveling to Karbala' for the holiday of Arbaeen, killing between 56 and 63 civilians, including 

several children, wounding between 60 and 100 civilians, including several children, and 

damaging the tent. No group claimed responsibility, although authorities believed the Islamic 

State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

On 26 February 2008, near Mosul, Ninawa, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated an improvised 

explosive device (IED) he was wearing on a bus near an Iraqi army checkpoint, killing between 

eight and 14 civilians, wounding between seven and 15 others, and damaging the bus. No 

group claimed responsibility. 

On 29 February 2008, at about 8:00 PM, in Mingaora, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, at a 

funeral, a suicide bomber detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) strapped to his body, 

killing 36 people, three police officers, and injuring 50 people. No group claimed responsibility. 

March 

On 1 March 2008, in the morning, in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, armed 

assailants fired upon and killed two police officers. Later in the day, at about noon, in Bakara 

market, armed assailants fired upon government troops. The army retaliated and a mortar and 

firefight ensued, killing seven soldiers, seven civilians and several children, wounding about 65 

civilians and several children, and damaging the market and an unspecified number of 

residences and businesses. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

On or before 2 March 2008, south of Samarra', Salah ad Din, Iraq, United States soldiers found 

the bodies of 14 Sahwa Council members in a mass grave. The council members' hands were 

bound behind their backs and they all bore gunshot wounds to their heads. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

On 2 March 2008, at about 11:00 AM, near Zarghunkhel, in Darra Adam Khel, North-West 

Frontier, Pakistan, a suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) during a 

tribal jirga, killing 43 civilians and wounding 57 others. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 3 March 2008, at about 11:00 AM, in Bab al Muazzam neighborhood, Ash Shaykh 'Umar 

subdistrict, Ar Rusafa district in Baghdad, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne 

improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a checkpoint manned by Sahwa Council members 

and Iraqi army troops, killing 22 civilians, council members, and soldiers; wounding 43 others, 

and damaging the checkpoint, 23 nearby residences, and an unspecified number of vehicles. 

The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility. 

On 3 March 2008, at about 5:00 AM, in Embakasi and Kasarani, near Kitale, Rift Valley, Kenya, 

armed assailants stormed a community, firing weapons, wielding machetes, and burning 

houses, killing eight civilians, six children, and one housekeeper, wounding six children and two 

civilians, and burning 10 residences. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely 

believed that the Sabaot Land Defense Force (SLDF) was responsible. 

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On 3 March 2008, near Peshawar, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, assailants fired upon the 

village of Bara, killing 12 civilians, wounding 23 civilians, two children, kidnapping 10 civilians, 

damaging a Muslim shrine and burning three houses. On 7 March 2008, eight of the hostages 

were released, on 8 March 2008, another was released, and on 15 March 2008, the last 

hostage was released. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed 

Lashkar-e-Islam (LEI) was responsible. 

On 6 March 2008, at about 6:45 PM, in Karradah district in Baghdad, Iraq, assailants detonated 

an improvised explosive device (IED) that was placed in a dumpster in an outdoor market, killing 

three civilians, wounding 12 others, and damaging the market and the dumpster. About five 

minutes later, when a large crowd had gathered at the scene of the explosion, a suicide bomber 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) he was wearing, killing 49 people, including 

civilians and children, and 16 police officers; wounding 114 people, including civilians and 

children, and 28 police officers; and damaging 13 vehicles, seven shops, and several 

residences. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Islamic State of 

Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

On 11 March 2008, at about 1:40 PM, 50 miles south of An Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar, Iraq, assailants 

detonated a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) near a United States (US) military 

convoy and a bus traveling from An Najaf to Al Basrah, killing 13 Shiite civilians and three 

children, wounding 22 other Shiite civilians and one US soldier, and damaging the bus and one 

military convoy vehicle. The IED was subsequently identified as an explosively formed 

penetrator (EFP). No group claimed responsibility. 

On 11 March 2008, in the Nawagai area, near Bajaur, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, 

Pakistan, assailants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED), wounding one soldier and 

damaging one military vehicle. Assailants then fired on a military rescue team evacuating the 

wounded victim, causing no injuries or damage. The military fired retaliatory mortars and artillery 

at the assailants, killing 11 civilians, one child, wounding 25 civilians, and damaging one 

residence. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 11 March 2008, at about 9:25 AM, in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, suicide bombers detonated 

two vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) near the Federal Investigation Agency 

(FIA) regional headquarters and an advertising agency office, killing 15 police officers, 10 

civilians, five children; wounding about 240 civilians, 50 children, 45 police officers; and 

damaging scores of vehicles, businesses, and residential buildings, two religious buildings and 

one police building. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that either 

al-Qa'ida or the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were responsible. 

On 13 March 2008, in the night, in Rutshuru, Nord-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 

armed assailants stormed a village and fired upon residents, killing nine civilians, three children 

and wounding one civilian. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that 

the Mai-Mai was responsible. 

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National Counterterrorism Center

On 13 March 2008, at about 2:00 PM, in the Ar Rusafa district of Baghdad, Iraq, assailants 

detonated a remote-controlled vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) in a market 

in the central Bab as Sharqi neighborhood, killing 18 civilians, wounding between 41 and 64 

others, and damaging several clothing, CD, and DVD shops. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 13 March 2008, near Al Junaynah, Gharb Darfur, Sudan, armed assailants fired upon a 

convoy carrying students, killing nine security guards and one civilian, wounding five people, 

and damaging the convoy. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that 

the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) was responsible. 

On 15 March 2008, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, armed assailants fired upon and killed 10 

civilians and police officers. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that 

al-Shabaab al-Islamiya was responsible. 

On 15 March 2008, in the Ceel Cirfiid area of Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, armed assailants 

fired upon a police checkpoint, killing four civilians and 10 people, including police officers. AlShabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

On 17 March 2008, at about 6:10 PM, in downtown Karbala', Karbala', Iraq, a female suicide 

bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near a crowd of Shiite civilians outside 

the Imam Hussein shrine on Habib bin Mezaher Street before evening prayers, killing between 

43 and 57 Shiite civilians (up to 50 Iraqi; 7 Iranian), wounding between 65 and 73 others (up to 

63 Iraqi; 10 Iranian), and damaging several market stalls. Although no group claimed 

responsibility, the United States military suspected the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) perpetrated this 

attack. 

On 20 March 2008, in Kasib and Khor areas near Nyala, Janub Darfur, Sudan, armed assailants 

stormed a community, killing 12 civilians, wounding three others, and causing an unspecified 

amount of damage. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Sudan 

Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) was responsible. 

On 23 March 2008, at about 6:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 4:30 PM and 8:30 PM, in Baghdad, Iraq, 

assailants fired between 15 and 30 mortar rounds and rockets at the International (Green) Zone, 

with some landing outside the Green Zone, killing 14 civilians, including several children, one 

United States (US) government contractor; wounding between four and eight people, between 

39 and 47 civilians, including several children; causing light damage to the US embassy 

complex, several residences inside and outside the Green Zone, and a parking lot. No group 

claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed Mahdi Army (JAM) splinter groups were 

responsible. 

On 23 March 2008, at about 7:00 AM, in Mosul, Ninawa, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated a 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) at the entrance to an Iraqi military 

headquarters, killing between 10 and 15 soldiers, wounding between 25 and 40 others, between 

10 and 12 civilians, and damaging the military headquarters facility. The Islamic State of Iraq 

(ISI)claimed responsibility. 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

On 29 March 2008, at about 4:00 PM, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, assailants launched 

mortars at the presidential palace, killing two government officials and 15 soldiers, wounding 

about 20 others, and damaging the palace. Ethiopian troops guarding the palace responded 

with retaliatory mortar fire on a busy Bakara market, killing 20 civilians and one child, wounding 

40 civilians, and damaging the market and a money exchange shop. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya 

claimed responsibility. 

On 30 March 2008, in As Siniyah, Salah ad Din, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicleborne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a checkpoint, killing one police officer, three or 

four Sahwa Council members, between four and six civilians, wounding two police officers, 

between two and eight Sahwa Council members, three civilians, and damaging the checkpoint. 

No group claimed responsibility. 

On 31 March 2008, in Buulobarde, Hiiraan, Somalia, assailants fired automatic rifles and rocketpropelled grenades (RPG) at a hotel housing regional leaders, killing seven soldiers and four 

civilians, damaging the hotel and four military vehicles. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed 

responsibility. 

April 

On 3 April 2008, at about 6:00 AM, in Cadaado, Galguduud, Somalia, assailants fired firearms, 

mortars, and rockets at two government checkpoints, killing 15 soldiers and four civilians, 

wounding 20 soldiers and six civilians, and damaging the two checkpoints, one bus, and six 

armored military trucks. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

On 4 April 2008, in As Sa'diyah, Diyala, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated an improvised 

explosive device (IED) he was wearing near a funeral procession in Sed Himreen cemetery, 

killing 20 civilians and wounding 30 others. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 6 April 2008, in the morning, in Weliweriya, Western Province, Sri Lanka, a suicide bomber 

approached the starting line of a marathon race and detonated the improvised explosive device 

(IED) strapped to his body, killing 13 civilians and a government official, injuring about 100 

civilians and one police officer. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed 

the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible. 

On 8 April 2008, in the morning, in Shinkay, Zabol, Afghanistan, armed assailants attacked a 

road construction site, killing nine civilians and nine private security guards, injuring eight guards 

and eight civilians and kidnapping 27 civilians. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

On 10 April 2008, at 9:45 AM, in Kandahar, Kandahar, Afghanistan, in a residential 

neighborhood, a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle-borne improvised explosive device 

(VBIED) near a NATO patrol, killing seven civilians, three children, injuring 18 civilians, three 

Canadian soldiers, two police officers, damaging 14 shops and several vehicles including at 

least one military vehicle. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

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National Counterterrorism Center

On 10 April 2008, in Campo Novo de Rondonia, Rondonia, Brazil, armed assailants fired upon 

and killed 15 civilians. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 12 April 2008, at 9:00 PM, in Shiraz, Fars, Iran, during the evening prayer session, a bomb 

exploded at the Sayid Al-Shuhadan Husainiya, killing 12 civilians, wounding 200 others, and 

causing damage to the mosque. Jihadi Movement of the Sunna People of Iran claimed 

responsibility. 

On 13 April 2008, in the late evening, in Arghandab, Kandahar, Afghanistan, assailants fired on 

a police checkpoint, killing 11 police officers, wounding one other, damaging two vehicles and 

the checkpoint. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

On 14 April 2008, in the afternoon, near Rabi'ah, Ninawa, Iraq, assailants detonated a roadside 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a truck transporting Kurdish 

Peshmerga paramilitary members, killing 12 paramilitary members, wounding between two and 

five others, and damaging the truck. The paramilitary members were on leave en route to Sinjar. 

The Shield of Islam Brigade claimed responsibility. 

On 15 April 2008, at about 11:15 AM, in central Ba'qubah, Diyala, Iraq, assailants detonated a 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near the Diyala Courthouse, killing 34 

civilians, 12 children, and one police officer; wounding 64 civilians, 15 police officers, and three 

children; and damaging three minibuses, eight cars, 10 shops, a restaurant and the courthouse. 

The VBIED was parked across the street from the courthouse and in front of a restaurant. 

Although no group claimed responsibility, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was suspected of 

perpetrating this attack. 

On 15 April 2008, at about 12:30 PM, in western Ar Ramadi, Al Anbar, Iraq, a suicide bomber 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in a restaurant frequented by police officers, 

killing six civilians, five police officers, and two children; wounding 10 civilians and four police 

officers; and damaging the restaurant. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility. 

On 17 April 2008, at about 7:00 PM, in Zaranj, Nimruz, Afghanistan, in front of a mosque, a 

suicide bomber detonated his improvised explosive device (IED), killing 14 civilians, 13 children, 

two police officers, injuring 15 civilians, 15 children and causing damage to the mosque. No 

group claimed responsibility. 

On 17 April 2008, at about 11:00 AM, near Adhaim, Diyala, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated an 

improvised explosive device (IED) in a Sunni funeral mourning tent, killing 55 civilians and 

wounding at least 40 others. The bomber was described as an elderly man thought by guards to 

be too old to be a bomber. The funeral was for two brothers who were Sahwa Council 

paramilitary members and had been kidnapped on 15 April 2008 and their bodies found on 16 

April 2008. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) issued warnings to relatives of the deceased brothers 

not to hold a funeral procession. No group claimed responsibility, although the ISI was widely 

believed to have perpetrated this attack. 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

On 17 April 2008, in Safati village, near Nyala, Janub Darfur, Sudan, armed assailants stormed 

a community, fired upon the residents, killing 10 civilians, wounding four others, and set fire to 

the village. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that the Sudan 

Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) was responsible. 

Between 19 April 2008 and 22 April 2008, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, armed assailants 

fired upon Ethiopian military positions, prompting retaliatory mortar fire. The fighting escalated 

and extended throughout Mogadishu for the next two days, with mortar fire killing 51 Ethiopian 

soldiers, 23 Somali soldiers, 121 civilians, and two children; wounding about 241 civilians, 79 

Ethiopian soldiers, 30 Somali soldiers, and three children; and damaging one market, several 

residences, and one military base. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

On 22 April 2008, at about 7:30 AM, in Ar Ramadi, Al Anbar, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated a 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a United States (US) military/Iraqi 

police joint checkpoint at an entrance to the city, killing two US Marines, between one and 

seven police officers, between one and four civilians, wounding three US Marines, two or three 

police officers, between 16 and 30 civilians, five children, and causing damage to the 

checkpoint. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility. 

On 22 April 2008, between 6:00 and 6:45 PM, in Jalula', Diyala, Iraq, a female suicide bomber 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) she was wearing near a police station, killing 

between three and seven police officers, between three and 11 civilians, one Kurdish 

paramilitary member, wounding two or three police officers, between 10 and 15 civilians, and 

damaging the police station. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 25 April 2008, in the evening, in Piliyandala, Western Province, Sri Lanka, at a public bus 

stand, assailants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) inside a passenger bus, killing 

24 civilians, one Buddhist monk, one child; injuring 33 civilians, 30 children; and destroying the 

bus. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Liberation Tigers of 

Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible. 

On 27 April 2008, at about 11:45 PM, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, assailants fired 

firearms, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) at a military post, killing nine soldiers 

and damaging the military post. A mortar and firefight ensued, killing one civilian, three children, 

and one security guard, wounding an unspecified number of civilians, and damaging one 

residence. The fighting continued and the troops chased the assailants into a mosque, 

assaulting those inside with knives, killing at least 18 civilians, one imam, and several Islamic 

scholars. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that al-Shabaab alIslamiya was responsible. 

On 29 April 2008, in Khugiani, Nangarhar, Afghanistan, a suicide bomber approached a group 

of police officers and government officials and detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) 

strapped to his body, killing 11 police officers, seven civilians, injuring 15 police officers, 13 

civilians, two Australian journalists, the district chief and causing damage to several vehicles. 

The Taliban claimed responsibility. A previously unknown group calling themselves Tora Bora 

Front also claimed responsibility. 

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National Counterterrorism Center

On 30 April 2008, at about 7:30 AM, in Baidoa, Bay, Somalia, assailants remotely detonated an 

improvised explosive device (IED) as a water tanker passed, killing two soldiers, wounding 

several others, and damaging the tanker. Ethiopian soldiers responded by indiscriminately firing 

into a crowded street, killing 13 civilians and wounding nine others. No group claimed 

responsibility. 

May 

On 1 May 2008, in the evening, in Balad Ruz, Diyala, Iraq, a female suicide bomber detonated 

an improvised explosive device (IED) near a crowd of people celebrating a wedding in a 

marketplace. Several minutes later as police and rescue workers arrived on the scene, a 

second male suicide bomber detonated an IED he was wearing. The two attacks killed 45 

people, including civilians, children, police officers, and rescue workers; wounded 75 others; 

and damaged the market and an unspecified number of shops and vehicles. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. ISI 

denied responsibility. 

On 1 May 2008, at about 9:30 AM, in Karradah district in Baghdad, Iraq, assailants detonated a 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a United States (US) military patrol, 

killing eight or nine civilians, one child, and one US soldier; wounding between 23 and 26 

civilians and two US soldiers; and damaging at least 12 civilian vehicles, a US military vehicle, 

and several auto repair shops. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed 

the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

On or about 2 May 2008, in Al Qa'im, Al Anbar, Iraq, armed assailants fired upon and killed 

between 11 and 13 police officers. No group claimed responsibility, although authorities blamed 

an unidentified Syrian group. 

On 2 May 2008, at the end of Friday prayers, in Sa'dah, Sa'dah, Yemen, assailants remotelydetonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) at the Bin Salman mosque, 

killing 2 children, 16 civilians and soldiers, wounding 45 civilians and soldiers, and damaging the 

mosque. No group claimed responsibility, although authorities blamed Huthis rebels, who 

denied the accusation. 

Starting on 7 May 2008 and ending approximately two weeks later, in Beirut, Beyrouth, Lebanon 

and Tripoli, Liban-Nord, Lebanon, assailants fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and 

firearms at government soldiers and public places, killing one child, at least 40 civilians and 

soldiers; wounding 11 civilians, at least one child, and several soldiers; and damaging a building 

and several cars. The cars were being used as roadblocks on the road to the airport. Hizballah 

claimed responsibility. 

On 7 May 2008, in the evening, in Wanlaweyn, Shabeellaha Hoose, Somalia, armed assailants 

fired mortars at Ethiopian troops, prompting retaliatory fire, killing nine civilians, four children, 

and eight soldiers, and causing an unspecified amount of damage to the community. AlShabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

On 9 May 2008, at about 5:40 PM, in Ampara, North Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, at the City 

Cafe Hotel, assailants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED), killing 11 civilians, 

injuring 29 others, damaging the hotel and several nearby hotels. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was 

responsible. 

On 10 May 2008, in Baidoa, Bay, Somalia, assailants remotely detonated an improvised 

explosive device (IED) as a tanker carrying water for Ethiopian troops passed, killing 12 civilians 

and one soldier, wounding nine civilians, and damaging the tanker. No group claimed 

responsibility. 

On 13 May 2008, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, between about 7:30 PM and 7:45 PM, assailants 

detonated nine improvised explosive devices (IED) in a crowded tourist area near a Hindu 

temple, killing 64 civilians, wounding approximately 200 others, and damaging the temple, a 

vehicle, and many shops. In that area, authorities recovered and safely defused another IED 

that failed to detonate. Indian Mujahideen (IM) claimed responsibility. 

On 14 May 2008, between 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM, near Zaydan, Al Anbar, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near a Sunni funeral, killing 21 

civilians, 1 child, and at least three paramilitary members; wounding 45 civilians and at least 

three paramilitary members; and damaging a funeral tent. The funeral was being held for a 

technical school principal who was shot and killed the previous day. The deceased principal was 

also the uncle of the Al Fallujah chief of police and the brother of a leading member of a Sahwa 

Council. The funeral was being attended by many members of this Sahwa Council. No group 

claimed responsibility. 

On 15 May 2008, at about 9:00 AM, in Dilaram, Farah, Afghanistan, a suicide bomber detonated 

an improvised explosive device (IED) at a police checkpoint, killing 16 civilians, three police 

officers, wounding 25 civilians, 5 police officers, damaging the checkpoint and two vehicles. The 

Taliban claimed responsibility. 

On 15 May 2008, at about 7:30 AM, in North Cachar Hills, Assam, India, assailants fired upon 

and set fire to cement trucks, killing five cement truck drivers and five assistants and damaging 

five cement trucks. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Dima 

Halim Daogah-Jewel Garlossa (DHD-J) was responsible. 

On 16 May 2008, at noon, in Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka, a suicide bomber drove 

his motorcycle into one of three buses transporting police officers to a demonstration and 

detonated his vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing seven officers, three 

civilians, injuring 62 others, 30 police officers, three soldiers, damaging at least 13 vehicles and 

a military checkpoint. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the 

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible. 

On 18 May 2008, in Mardan, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, a suicide bomber approached the 

gate of the Punjab Regiment Center and detonated an improvised explosive device (IED), killing 

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National Counterterrorism Center

eight civilians, four soldiers, injuring 13 civilians, 10 soldiers, and damaging the base and a 

nearby bakery. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility. 

On 19 May 2008, in the evening, in Al Bi'aj, Ninawa, Iraq, armed assailants fired upon a minibus 

transporting police recruits returning to the city from their recruitment camp, killing nine police 

recruits and two police drivers, kidnapping one police recruit, and damaging the minibus. 

Several of the victims appeared to have been killed execution style, with gun shots to the head. 

Iraqi security forces later rescued the kidnapped police officer. No group claimed responsibility, 

although it was widely believed that the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

On 20 May 2008, at about 4:00 AM, in Abyei, Janub Kurdufan, Sudan, armed assailants fired 

upon military positions and burned residences, prompting an intense firefight, killing 22 soldiers 

and at least 35 civilians, wounding 54 soldiers, and destroying the community, including many 

residences. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/SPLA) claimed 

responsibility. 

On 26 May 2008, at about 7:00 PM, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, armed assailants fired 

mortars and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) at a peacekeeping barracks, prompting an 

exchange of firearms and mortars, killing sixteen civilians and two children, wounding 26 

civilians and one child, and damaging at least one building. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed 

responsibility. 

On 29 May 2008, between 10:30 AM and 11:00 AM, in Sinjar, Ninawa, Iraq, a suicide bomber 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in a crowd of civilians waiting outside a police 

station to apply for jobs as police officers, killing between eight and 14 civilians, two police 

officers, wounding between 11 and 16 civilians, five police officers, and damaging the police 

station. No group claimed responsibility, although it was believed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) 

was responsible. 

On 31 May 2008, at about 9:00 PM, in Hit, Al Anbar, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated an 

improvised explosive device (IED) near a police checkpoint, killing the city's Chief of Police, five 

other police officers, and four civilians; wounding five police officers and seven civilians; and 

damaging the checkpoint. No group claimed responsibility. 

June 

On 2 June 2008, at about 8:00 PM, in Dawasa district in central Mosul, Ninawa, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a checkpoint 

controlling entry into the city's police department compound, killing five police officers, six 

civilians, and two children; wounding 38 civilians and children and eight police officers; and 

damaging the checkpoint and the police compound. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed 

responsibility. 

On 4 June 2008, in the morning, at Kinyandoni camp, near Rutshuru, Nord-Kivu, Democratic 

Republic of the Congo, assailants raided and fired upon an internally-displaced persons (IDP) 

camp, killing 10 IDPs and two children, wounding about 20 IDPs, many children, and two 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

humanitarians. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that the 

Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) were responsible. 

On 4 June 2008, at about 8:00 PM, in Karradah district in central Baghdad, Iraq, assailants 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near Hassan Ice Cream shop 

in Jadriya neighborhood as a mobile elite police patrol was passing, killing seven civilians and 

three police officers, wounding seven civilians and four police officers, and damaging three 

civilian vehicles and one police vehicle. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 4 June 2008, at about 2:15 PM, in Ash Sha'b neighborhood in 'Azamiyah district in northern 

Baghdad, Iraq, assailants fired a rocket improvised explosive device (IED) in the direction of a 

United States (US) forward operating base (FOB), causing four other rocket IEDs on the 

assailants' truck to explode prematurely, killing 15 civilians and one child, wounding 28 civilians 

and one child, damaging 15 residences and an unspecified number of vehicles. No group 

claimed responsibility, although authorities believed Mahdi Army (JAM) splinter groups were 

responsible. 

On 5 June 2008, in Nabanga, Gharb al Istiwa'iyah, Sudan, about 100 armed assailants stormed 

a village and fired upon the inhabitants, killing 14 South Sudanese soldiers, nine civilians, and 

children. The assailants then set fire to the community, causing damage but no further injuries. 

No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that the Lord's Resistance 

Army (LRA) was responsible. 

On 6 June 2008, at about 7:45 AM, in Katubedda, Moratuwa, Western Province, Sri Lanka, 

assailants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near a public passenger bus, killing 

21 civilians, injuring 50 others and damaging the bus. No group claimed responsibility, although 

it was widely believed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible. 

Between 7 June 2008 and 9 June 2008, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, armed assailants 

threw grenades at a military foot patrol, killing three soldiers. The assailants also fired mortars at 

Somali troops, starting an intense firearm and mortar fight lasting three days, killing nine 

civilians, three children; wounding over 94 civilians and three children; and damaging several 

communities and several residences. Ethiopian troops fired mortars into a market, killing seven 

civilians and two children, and damaging the market. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 9 June 2008, in Wagela, Nimba, Liberia, armed assailants attacked a farm, firing machine 

guns, assaulting with machetes, and pouring acid on the farmers, killing 13 workers and 

wounding several others. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 13 June 2008, at about 9:00 PM, in Kandahar, Kandahar, Afghanistan, a suicide bomber 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) at the front gate of Sarposa 

prison, another suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at the rear gate 

of the prison and other assailants fired on the prison with firearms, rocket-propelled grenades 

(RPG) and rockets, killing 15 police officers and damaging the prison. The Taliban claimed 

responsibility. 

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National Counterterrorism Center

On 13 June 2008, in Saravan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Iran, armed assailants kidnapped and 

killed 16 border police officers. The assailants kidnapped the 16 police officers and took them 

over the border into Pakistan. Jundullah claimed responsibility. 

On 16 June 2008, at about 7:15 AM, in Vavuniya, North Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, a suicide 

bomber approached the Police Senior Superintendent complex and detonated his vehicle-borne 

improvised explosive device (VBEID), killing 12 officers, injuring 19 others, three children, one 

civilian and damaging the police building. No group claimed responsibility, although it was 

widely believed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible. 

On 17 June 2008, at 5:45 PM, in the Al Kazimiyah district of Baghdad, Iraq, assailants 

detonated a large vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) parked in a garage near a 

market and bus stop in the northwestern Madinat al Hurriyah neighborhood, killing 58 civilians 

and five children, wounding 59 civilians and 12 children, destroying a multi-level building 

containing 20 apartments and 20 shops, and damaging 15 cars. No group claimed 

responsibility, although the United States (US) military blamed this attack on a Mahdi Army 

(JAM) splinter group. 

On 19 June 2008, in Kurram, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan, armed assailants 

fired rockets and small arms fire at a convoy, killing four contractors, two civilians, and one 

private security guard. The assailants then set three vehicles on fire, damaging the vehicles but 

causing no further injuries. The assailants then kidnapped eight other contractors. On 23 June 

2008, the bodies of the eight kidnap victims were found with hands, legs, and heads removed. 

No group claimed responsibility, although it was believed Sunni Islamic extremists were 

responsible. 

On 22 June 2008, between 12:30 PM and 1:00 PM, in Ba'qubah, Diyala, Iraq, a female suicide 

bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at a police checkpoint outside the 

provincial government offices, killing seven or eight police officers, between seven and nine 

civilians, one child; wounding between five and 10 police officers, 37 people; and damaging 

several government facilities, several police vehicles, the checkpoint and several nearby 

buildings. No group claimed responsibility, although it was believed the Islamic State of Iraq 

(ISI) was responsible. 

On 22 June 2008, in the evening, in Adhaim, Diyala, Iraq, assailants fired 10 mortar rounds at a 

Sahwa Council headquarters and checkpoint, killing 10 Sahwa Council members, wounding 24 

others, damaging several residences and causing unspecified damage to the headquarters and 

checkpoint. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility. 

From 22 June 2008 to 25 June 2008, in Tripoli, Liban-Nord, Lebanon and Beddawi, Liban-Nord, 

Lebanon, armed assailants fired upon opposing political forces, killing eight civilians, one child, 

one police officer; wounding approximately 28 civilians and 19 political affiliates; and damaging 

several buildings, a mosque, several residences, several vehicles, and the local electrical 

infrastructure. No group claimed responsibility, but it was widely believed that forces of the 

opposing 14 March Coalition and 8 March Coalition were responsible. 

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On 23 June 2008, in Jandola, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan, assailants fired on 

a group of Bitani tribal members, killing 18 tribal members, kidnapping and killing 22 others, and 

kidnapping eight others. The assailants then set fire to residences, damaging 35 homes but 

causing no injuries. On 27 June 2008, the eight kidnapped victims were safely released. The 

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility. 

On 24 June 2008, at about 9:30 AM, in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq, assailants 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) hidden inside the district advisory council 

facility, killing two United States (US) soldiers, three government contractors (2 US; 1 Italian), 

six people; wounding one US soldier, three or four local government officials, seven people; and 

damaging the facility. No group claimed responsibility, although it was believed Mahdi Army 

(JAM) splinter groups were responsible. 

On 26 June 2008, between 10:30 AM and noon, in Al Karmah, Al Anbar, Iraq, a suicide bomber 

detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) he was wearing at a Sahwa Council facility 

where a meeting was taking place between pro-government sheikks, killing 11 Sahwa Council 

members, three United States soldiers, two contractors, three police officers, one local 

government official, between zero and five people; wounding between 20 and 30 people; and 

damaging the facility. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility. 

On 26 June 2008, between 1:00 PM and 1:30 PM, in Mosul, Ninawa, Iraq, assailants fired one 

rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at and detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device 

(VBIED) near a public market, killing 15 civilians, two children, one police officer, wounding 71 

civilians, nine police officers, and damaging several public buildings. No group claimed 

responsibility. 

On 29 June 2008, at about 10:30 AM, in Malkangiri, Orissa, India, assailants fired rockets, 

mortars, and light machine guns at a boat ferrying Greyhound special police force members 

across Ballimella reservoir, killing 31 police officers and four paramilitary members, wounding 

10 police officers, and damaging the ship. No group claimed responsibility, but it was widely 

believed the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was responsible. 

July 

On 1 July 2008, in Matabaan, Galguduud, Somalia, armed assailants ambushed and fired upon 

a military convoy, killing nine Ethiopian soldiers and damaging at least two vehicles. A firefight 

ensued, killing 27 civilians. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

On 6 July 2008, at about 7:30 PM, in Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan, in front of a police 

station, a suicide bomber approached a crowd of police officers and civilians and detonated the 

improvised explosive device (IED) strapped to his body, killing 15 police officers, four civilians, 

injuring 24 police officers, 16 civilians, and damaging the police station. No group claimed 

responsibility. 

On 7 July 2008, at 8:25 AM, in Kabul, Kabol, Afghanistan, a suicide bomber drove his vehicle 

into the gate of the Indian Embassy and detonated his vehicle-borne improvised explosive 

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device (VBIED), killing 25 civilians, six police officers, at least four Indian embassy employees, 

four children, two Indian private security guards; injuring 109 civilians, 20 embassy employees 

(18 Indian; 2 Indonesian), 10 police officers, two children; destroying at least seven vehicles (5 

Afghan; 2 Indian), causing extensive damage to the Indian embassy's Gate, damaging several 

nearby buildings and shops including the Pajhwok Afghan News building, and the adjacent 

Indonesian embassy. No group claimed responsibility, although some Afghan officials blamed 

the Pakistani-based Taliban. 

On 9 July 2008, in the afternoon, in Al Faisaliya district in central Mosul, Ninawa, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near the convoy of the 

Iraqi Army's Senior Security Commander in Ninawa near the provincial traffic police 

headquarters, killing between eight and 14 civilians; wounding 29 others, seven Iraqi soldiers, 

and five traffic police officers; and damaging three vehicles in the convoy, four civilian vehicles, 

the traffic police headquarters, and several nearby shops and buildings. No group claimed 

responsibility. 

On or about 13 July 2008, near Ghazni, Afghanistan, assailants kidnapped and killed 15 

civilians. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

On 13 July 2008, at about 10:20 AM, in Deh Rawod, Oruzgan, Afghanistan, a suicide bomber 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) targeting a police vehicle, 

killing 17 civilians, several children, five police officers, wounding 44 civilians, and destroying the 

police vehicle. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 15 July 2008, at about 8:00 AM, in eastern Ba'qubah, Diyala, Iraq, two suicide bombers 

detonated improvised explosive devices (IED) near a crowd of civilians waiting to enlist outside 

the Iraqi Army recruitment center at Saad military base, killing 33 civilians and wounding 

between 55 and 69 others. The second suicide bomber detonated his explosives shortly after 

the first attack as first responders attempted to help the injured. One suicide bomber wore an 

Iraqi Army uniform and the second was dressed in civilian clothes. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible for 

the attack. 

On 16 July 2008, at about 4:00 PM, near MV-126 village, in Malkangiri, Orissa, India, assailants 

detonated a landmine improvised explosive device (IED) near a police vehicle and then fired 

upon it, killing 17 police officers and damaging the vehicle. No group claimed responsibility, but 

it was widely believed the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was responsible. 

On 16 July 2008, at about 7:00 PM, in the Taliha district of downtown Tall 'Afar, Ninawa, Iraq, 

assailants detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) in a crowded 

outdoor market in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood, killing 16 civilians and nine children; 

wounding 59 civilians, 10 children, and three police commandos; and damaging the market. No 

group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) 

perpetrated this attack. 

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On 26 July 2008, between about 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM, in Ahmadabad, Ahmadabad, Gujarat, 

India, assailants detonated between 15 and 19 improvised explosive devices (IED) and two 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) at 17 different crowded areas including 

markets, hospitals, residential areas, and bus routes, killing 56 civilians, wounding more than 

200 others, and damaging two hospitals and many residences, shops, busses, and businesses. 

Authorities later recovered and safely defused three additional IEDs. Indian Mujahideen (IM) 

claimed responsibility. 

On 27 July 2008, at about 10:00 PM, in Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey, assailants detonated an 

improvised explosive device (IED) in a rubbish container, causing no injuries or damage. Ten 

minutes later, assailants detonated a second IED in another rubbish container, killing five 

children and 12 civilians, wounding 154 civilians, and damaging several cafes and apartment 

buildings. No group claimed responsibility, but authorities believed the Kongra-Gel (KGK, PKK, 

TAK, KADEK, HPG) suspects whom they arrested were responsible. 

On 28 July 2008, at about 11:00 AM, in Kirkuk, At Ta'mim, Iraq, a female suicide bomber 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) she was wearing in a crowd of Kurdish 

protesters protesting the passage of the provincial council elections law which cancelled 

elections in the city, killing between 13 and 22 civilians and wounding between 47 and 79 

others. No group claimed responsibility, although authorities believed the Islamic State of Iraq 

(ISI) was responsible. 

On 28 July 2008, at about 8:00 AM, in the Karradah district of Baghdad, Iraq, three female 

suicide bombers detonated three improvised explosive devices (IED) they were wearing 

minutes apart in a very large crowd of Shia civilians walking to the Imam Kadhim shrine, killing 

between 16 and 25 civilians, three police officers, four children; wounding between 64 and 117 

civilians, and causing damage to the surrounding area. No group claimed responsibility, 

although it was widely believed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

August 

On 2 August 2008, at about 10:00 AM, in the Loy Karez area, in Spin Buldak, Kandahar, 

Afghanistan, assailants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting security 

forces, killing 11 civilians, two children, wounding six civilians, and damaging a civilian bus. No 

group claimed responsibility. 

On 3 August 2008, at about 8:30 AM, in 'Azamiyah district in northern Baghdad, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near the 'Azamiyah 

passport office on al-Maghreb Street, killing 12 civilians; wounding 20 or 21 others and three 

police officers; and damaging six civilian vehicles, several nearby buildings and several shops. 

No group claimed responsibility, although Interior Ministry officials accused an unnamed political 

party of being responsible. 

On 3 August 2008, at about 8:00 AM, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, assailants remotely 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) as a group of street cleaners passed, killing 23 

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civilians and wounding 42 others. No group claimed responsibility, although the Somali-backed 

Ethiopian troops and the Islamic Courts Union traded accusations. 

On 4 August 2008, at about 8:00 AM, in Kashi, Xinjiang, China, assailants in a dump truck threw 

grenades at police officers near a border post, damaging the post but causing no injuries. The 

assailants then assaulted the officers with machetes, killing 16 police officers and wounding 16 

others. During the attack the dump truck struck a hotel, damaging the front door but causing no 

further injuries. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely reported that the East 

Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) was responsible. 

On 8 August 2008, at about 6:30 PM, in Tall 'Afar, Ninawa, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated a 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) in a crowded produce market, killing 28 

civilians; wounding 66 others, five police officers, and one vendor; and damaging the market 

and an unspecified number of produce stands. No group claimed responsibility, although 

authorities blamed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). 

On 10 August 2008, in El Tambo, Cauca, Colombia, armed assailants fired upon and killed 10 

civilians. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed that the National 

Liberation Army (ELN) was responsible. 

On 12 August 2008, at about 11:00 AM, near a bridge on the main Peshawar-Kohat Road, in 

Peshawar, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, a suicide bomber drove his vehicle into a Pakistani 

Air Force vehicle and detonated his vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing 

10 airmen, three civilians, one child, wounding 11 civilians, five airmen, one child, damaging 

nine vehicles, and a bridge. Both the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jaish-e-Islami claimed 

responsibility. 

On 12 August 2008, in Dera Bugti, Balochistan, Pakistan, assailants killed 18 police officers and 

injured five others. The Balochistan Republican Army (BRA) claimed responsibility. 

On 13 August 2008, at 8:00 AM, in Tripoli, Liban-Nord, Lebanon, assailants detonated an 

improvised explosive device (IED) five meters from a bus stop, killing seven civilians, one infant, 

and 10 soldiers; wounding 45 people, mostly soldiers; and damaging the bus, several vehicles, 

and nearby buildings. No group claimed responsibility, but it was believed that Fatah al-Islam 

was responsible. 

On 13 August 2008, at about 11:34 PM, in Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, at a 

crowded city square, a suicide bomber detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) 

strapped to his body, killing eight civilians and two police officers; injuring 21 officers and 19 

civilians; and damaging a mosque, several buildings and several vehicles. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Taliban was responsible. 

On 14 August 2008, at about 7:30 PM, near Al Iskandariyah, Babil, Iraq, a female suicide 

bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near a group of Shia pilgrims resting 

on the roadside, killing 20 civilians, two police officers, wounding 72 civilians and three police 

officers. The pilgrims were traveling to Karbala' to participate in the Sharbaniyah observances. 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

No group claimed responsibility, although the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) is suspected of 

perpetrating this attack. 

On 15 August 2008, in the afternoon, near Arbiska, near Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, 

assailants remotely detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) as a civilian bus passed, 

killing 11 civilians and damaging the bus. Ethiopian troops opened retaliatory fire, killing 26 

civilians and one child, wounding 18 civilians, and damaging one bus. No group claimed 

responsibility, although the Ethiopian government blamed al-Shabaab al-Islamiya. 

On 17 August 2008, in the morning, in Khowst, Khowst, Afghanistan, outside of North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization's (NATO) Camp Salermo, a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle-borne 

improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing 10 civilians, injuring 13 others, and damaging the 

entrance to the base. Military forces fired upon a second would-be suicide VBIED bomber, 

attempting to target first responders, causing him to flee from his vehicle into a crowd. The 

VBIED was later disarmed in a controlled detonation causing no further casualties of damage. 

The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

On 17 August 2008, in the night, in Shah Wali Kot, Kandahar, Afghanistan, an improvised 

explosive device (IED) exploded when it was struck by a police vehicle, killing 10 police officers 

and destroying the vehicle. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the 

Taliban was responsible. 

On 17 August 2008, at about 8:00 PM, in Ain Kechera, Skikda, Algeria, assailants remotely 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) as a military convoy passed and then fired 

upon the convoy, killing eight police officers, two soldiers and one civilian, and damaging three 

vehicles. Shortly thereafter, assailants detonated a second IED and fired upon the arriving 

support troops, killing one soldier and wounding 13 others. Al-Qa'ida Organization in Islamic 

Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility. 

On 17 August 2008, at about 7:30 PM, in the 'Azamiyah district of Baghdad, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber dressed as a woman detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near a Sahwa 

Council checkpoint near the Sunni Abu Hanifa Mosque, killing seven Sunni Sahwa paramilitary 

members and eight civilians, wounding two other paramilitary members and 28 civilians, and 

damaging the checkpoint and several buildings. Among the deceased Sahwa members was the 

local Sahwa leader and the wounded included two of his sons. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) 

claimed responsibility. 

On 18 August 2008, in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, Philippines; Kolambugan, Lanao del 

Norte, Philippines; and Maasim, Sarangani, Philippines, assailants fired upon and killed 38 

civilians, 27 soldiers, one police officer; wounded many civilians, at least three children; took 50 

civilians hostage; and burned and looted 23 residences, 3 businesses, and 3 vehicles. The 

hostages were used as human shields for the assailants as the latter were withdrawing and 

were later released. No group claimed responsibility, although officials suspected the Moro 

Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was responsible. 

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On 19 August 2008, at about 7:00 AM, in Les Issers, Boumerdes, Algeria, a suicide bomber 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a police academy, killing 

42 civilians and one police officer, wounding 32 civilians and 13 police officers, and damaging 

the police academy, several residences and several shops. Al-Qa'ida Organization in Islamic 

Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility. 

On 19 August 2008, in Dera Ismail Khan, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, a suicide bomber 

entered the emergency room of the district headquarters hospital and detonated the improvised 

explosive device (IED) strapped to his body, killing 26 civilians, seven police officers, two health 

workers, injuring 48 civilians, five police officers, two journalists, several health workers, and 

damaging the hospital. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility. A Taliban 

spokesperson claimed that the attack was in response to military operations in Bajaur and Swat. 

On 20 August 2008, at about 6:00 AM, in Bouira, Bouira, Algeria, a suicide bomber detonated a 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a military barracks, killing two soldiers 

and damaging the barracks. Minutes later, a second suicide bomber detonated a VBIED near a 

bus parked in front of the Sophie hotel, killing 12 workers, wounding 44 others, and damaging 

the bus, the hotel, and several other buildings. Al-Qa'ida Organization in Islamic Maghreb 

(AQIM) claimed responsibility. 

On 21 August 2008, at about 2:35 PM, in Wah, Punjab, Pakistan, two suicide bombers 

detonated their improvised explosive devices outside the gates of the Pakistan Ordinance 

Factory during a shift change, killing between 60 and 70 people, wounding between 80 and 102 

others, and causing unspecified damage to the area. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed 

responsibility. 

On 23 August 2008, in Shah Wali Kot, Kandahar, Afghanistan, assailants detonated a roadside 

improvised explosive device (IED) near a minibus, killing eight civilians, two children, wounding 

four civilians, and damaging the vehicle. No group claimed responsibility, although it was 

believed the Taliban was responsible. 

On 24 August 2008, between 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM, in Zaydan, Al Anbar, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near the home of a Sunni Sahwa 

Council leader who was holding a banquet celebrating the release of his son from the Camp 

Bucca detention center three days earlier, killing 19 Sahwa Council paramilitary members, eight 

civilians, and three children; wounding up to 42 other people, including police officers, children, 

Sahwa Council members, and civilians; and damaging the residence. The Sahwa Council 

fatalities included the local chieftain. Although no group claimed responsibility, guests reported 

that the son had argued with Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) members while in detention possibly 

leading to this reprisal attack. 

On 25 August 2008, at about 8:00 AM, in Shah Dheri, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, armed 

assailants fired rockets and small arms at the residence of a brother of a ruling party member of 

parliament (MP), killing four civilians, including the brother, seven security guards, one 

paramilitary member, wounding one civilian, and damaging the home. The Tehrik-i-Taliban 

Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility. 

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On 26 August 2008, at about 10:30 AM, in Jalula', Diyala, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated a 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a police station in the northeastern 

Hay al-Shuhadah neighborhood, killing 25 civilians and five police officers, wounding 52 civilians 

and three Iraqi soldiers, and damaging the police station. Most of the civilian casualties were 

police recruits waiting to join. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed 

the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

On 28 August 2008, in Bannu, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, assailants detonated a vehicleborne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a police van, killing six or seven police officers, 

between one and three civilians, wounding five police officers, seven civilians, and damaging 

the van. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 30 August 2008, near Jamshedpur, in East Singhbhum, Jharkhand, India, a landmine 

exploded on a Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) vehicle, killing 12 police officers and damaging 

the vehicle. No group claimed responsibility, although authorities believed the Communist Party 

of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was responsible. 

September 

On 3 September 2008, in the early morning, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, assailants fired 

mortars at the presidential palace, starting an exchange of small arms and mortar fire, killing five 

civilians and 14 soldiers, wounding 14 civilians and two soldiers, and damaging the palace and 

several residences. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

On 5 September 2008, in Matta, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, assailants attempting to kidnap 

a local tribal leader fired small arms, crew-served automatic weapons and mortars at a group of 

civilians, killing 15 civilians, wounding three others, and kidnapping 15 others. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Taliban was responsible. 

On 6 September 2008, in the Zhangali area, near Peshawar, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, a 

suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a police 

checkpoint, killing 31 civilians, five police officers, wounding 98 civilians, two police officers, 

destroying the checkpoint, three vehicles, and 40 shops. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

On 10 September 2008, in the evening, in the Miskene area, in Dir, North-West Frontier, 

Pakistan, assailants fired small arms and threw grenades at a mosque, killing 22 civilians, three 

children, wounding 47 civilians, three children, and damaging the mosque. No group claimed 

responsibility. 

On 12 September 2008, at about 6:20 PM, in Ad Dujayl, Salah ad Din, Iraq, assailants 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) in a market near a police 

station, killing 28 Shiite civilians, four Shiite children, and four police officers; wounding 39 other 

Shiite civilians and children; and damaging the police station, a nearby medical clinic, 10 

vehicles, and the market. The market was crowded with civilian shoppers buying foodstuffs for 

the evening end of the daily Muslim sunrise-to-sunset fast during the month of Ramadan. No 

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group claimed responsibility, although it was widely suspected that the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) 

perpetrated this attack. 

On 13 September 2008, between 6:07 PM and 6:38 PM, in New Delhi, Delhi, India, assailants 

detonated five improvised explosive devices (IED) in crowded markets and tourist areas, killing 

31 civilians, wounding at least 100 others, damaging several shops and vehicles and one 

subway station. Explosions occurred at a park and a subway station in Connaught Place, Gaffar 

Market, and Greater Kailash-1 market. Authorities later found and safely defused three more 

IEDs planted at a movie theater and a children's park near a tourist attraction. Indian 

Mujahideen (IM) claimed responsibility. 

On 14 September 2008, in Zouerat, Tiris Zemmour, Mauritania, armed assailants fired small 

arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) at a military convoy, killing 12 soldiers and 

damaging three vehicles. Al-Qa'ida Organization in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed 

responsibility. 

On 15 September 2008, at about 7:30 PM, in Balad Ruz, Diyala, Iraq, a suicide bomber 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near the home of a police sergeant major as 

fellow police officers and relatives were gathered to celebrate the Iftar meal, killing 11 police 

officers, nine civilians, and two children; wounding 33 people, including many civilians and 

several police officers; and damaging the home. The police officer whose home was targeted 

had been released one day earlier from United States (US) custody at Camp Bucca. No group 

claimed responsibility. 

Between 17 September 2008 and 21 September 2008, near Nambia, Orientale, Democratic 

Republic of the Congo, assailants stormed several communities, firing upon inhabitants and 

burning and looting the residences and a Catholic mission, killing at least 52 civilians, 

kidnapping at least 10 others and 159 children, and burning hundreds of residences and 

destroying at least eight communities. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely 

believed that the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) was responsible. 

On 17 September 2008, between 9:15 AM and 9:30 AM, in Sanaa, San'a', Yemen, armed 

assailants attacked the United States Embassy, detonating two vehicle-borne improvised 

explosive devices (VBIED) and firing rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), rockets, and firearms, 

killing six Yemeni security guards, three civilians (2 Yemeni; 1 American) and one Indian nurse, 

and wounding several other Yemeni civilians, and damaging the main security gate and the 

front wall of the embassy. The assailants also threatened to attack the British, Saudi Arabian, 

and United Arab Emirates embassies. Al-Qa'ida in Yemen claimed responsibility. 

Between 20 September 2008 and 21 September 2008, in Chesht-e Sharif, Herat, Afghanistan, 

armed assailants fired upon contractors and police officers at a dam that was under 

construction, killing 11 police officers providing security and wounding several others. No group 

claimed responsibility, although it was believed the Taliban were responsible. 

On 20 September 2008, at about 8:00 PM, in Islamabad, Pakistan, an armed suicide bomber 

fired on and drove his vehicle through a security checkpoint at the Marriott Hotel and detonated 

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his vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing 47 civilians (45 Pakistani; 1 

Egyptian; 1 Vietnamese), six private security guards, five soldiers (3 American; 2 Pakistani), two 

children, two diplomats (1 Czech; 1 Danish), injuring 264 civilians (244 Pakistani; 6 German; 5 

Saudi; 3 American; 2 British; 2 Thai; 1 South Korean; 1 Filipino), three Danish diplomats, two 

British children, one government official, destroying the hotel, tens of vehicles, and damaging 

several nearby buildings. A previously unknown group calling itself Fidayeen-e-Islam claimed 

responsibility, although Pakistani authorities investigating the attack believe it was perpetrated 

by Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami (HUJI) and that the initial claim was meant to obstruct the 

investigation. One report also indicated that a United States (US) counterterrorism official 

suspected that Al-Qa'ida was responsible for the attack. On 22 December 2008, a newspaper 

stated that an advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan revealed that the investigation into the 

attack was complete and they held Lashkar i Jhangvi responsible for the bombing. 

On 24 September 2008, at about 11:00 AM, near Khan Bani Sa'd, Diyala, Iraq, armed 

assailants detonated a roadside improvised explosive device (IED), launched rocket-propelled 

grenades (RPG) and fired small arms at a joint Iraqi police-Sahwa Council mobile patrol, killing 

between 20 and 27 police officers and eight Sunni paramilitary members, wounding four other 

police officers, and damaging three vehicles. It was suspected that the assailants had received 

advance knowledge of the impending police operation. No group claimed responsibility, 

although Iraqi authorities believed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) perpetrated this attack. 

On 27 September 2008, at 8:45 AM, on the al-Muthaleq al-Junubi Road in Damascus, Dimashq, 

Syria, assailants detonated a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing 

one brigadier general, one child, 15 civilians, and wounding 14 civilians. The target was either a 

security checkpoint or the nearby intelligence complex. No group claimed responsibility, but 

authorities believed Fatah al-Islam was responsible. 

On 28 September 2008, at about 5:45 PM, in the Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, assailants 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a public market and 

mosque in the predominantly Shiite southwestern Shurtah ar Rabi'a neighborhood, killing five 

civilians, three children, and four vendors, wounding 35 other civilians, and damaging several 

cars, shops, and buildings. The timing and location of this attack was set to coincide with 

shopping for the Iftar meal, which celebrates the breaking of the fast during Ramadan. No group 

claimed responsibility, although the United States military suspected the Islamic State of Iraq 

(ISI) was responsible. 

On 28 September 2008, at about 7:10 PM, in the Karradah district of Baghdad, Iraq, assailants 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) in a parking garage near a 

crowded market on Al Attar Street followed seven minutes later by an improvised explosive 

device (IED) and small arms fire targeting first responders, killing 16 civilians and four police 

officers, wounding 65 other civilians, including several children, and seven police officers, and 

damaging the market, the garage, and several vehicles. This attack was timed to coincide with 

the Muslim preparation for the Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan with feasts and 

celebrations. No group claimed responsibility, although the United States military blamed this 

attack on the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). 

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October 

On 2 October 2008, between 7:45 AM and 8:10 AM, in the Karradah district of Baghdad, Iraq, a 

suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) at an Iraqi 

Army checkpoint near the Shiite Zaafarana Mosque in the southeastern Az Za'faraniyah 

neighborhood as Shiite worshippers were leaving morning prayers, killing between one and nine 

civilians, three Iraqi soldiers; wounding 24 civilians, three police officers; one Iraqi soldier; and 

damaging the checkpoint, one military vehicle, several civilian vehicles, and several nearby 

buildings. No group claimed responsibility, but the United States military blamed this attack on 

the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). 

On 2 October 2008, at about 7:45 AM, in the Sab'ah Nisan district of Baghdad, Iraq, a teenage 

suicide bomber detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) he was wearing near the Shiite 

Al Rasul Mosque in the southeastern Baghdad Al Jadidah neighborhood as worshippers were 

leaving morning prayers, killing 10 civilians and two police officers, and wounding 24 civilians 

and one police officer. The bomber was detained by police officers 80 meters away and prior to 

entering the mosque but managed to detonate his explosives anyway. No group claimed 

responsibility, although the United States military blamed this attack on the Islamic State of Iraq 

(ISI). 

On 6 October 2008, at about 4:45 PM, in Bhakkar, Punjab, Pakistan, a suicide bomber 

detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting Pakistani Muslim League (Nawaz) 

leader Rashid Akbar Niwani, killing 24 civilians and one police officer, wounding 61 civilians and 

one political leader, and damaging a residence. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 6 October 2008, at about 8:45 AM, in Dharmapala Mawatha, Anuradhapura, North Central 

Province, Sri Lanka, a suicide bomber entered the United National Party (UNP) office while 

party officials were holding a function and detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) 

strapped to his body, killing at least 27 party members and civilians, one journalist, wounding 94 

political party members and civilians, and damaging the office. No group claimed responsibility, 

although it was widely believed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible. 

On 8 October 2008, in Charcheno, Oruzgan, Afghanistan, assailants killed 10 civilians. No 

group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Taliban was responsible. 

On 9 October 2008, at about 1:00 PM, in the Khwago Oba area, in Dir, North-West Frontier, 

Pakistan, assailants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a prison van, 

killing five prisoners, four children, and three police officers, wounding seven police officers, 

three prisoners, and damaging the prison van and a school bus. No group claimed 

responsibility. 

On 9 October 2008, at 6:00 PM, in Tintay, Huancavelica, Peru, armed assailants detonated a 

bomb under a military vehicle, then engaged in a firefight with soldiers, killing 13 soldiers, two 

civilians; wounding one child, two civilians, 14 soldiers; and damaging several vehicles. The 

Shining Path (SL) claimed responsibility. 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

On 10 October 2008, at about 4:30 PM, in the Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, assailants 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a public market in the 

predominantly Shia southern Abu Dishir neighborhood, killing 10 civilians and three children, 

wounding 27 civilians, and damaging 12 shops, one apartment building, and seven vehicles. No 

group claimed responsibility. 

On 10 October 2008, in the Khadezai area, in Kurram, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, 

Pakistan, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) 

targeting a tribal jirga, killing 85 civilians and wounding 200 others. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed the Taliban was responsible. 

On 10 October 2008, between Al Junaynah, Gharb Darfur, Sudan and Kulbus, Gharb Darfur, 

Sudan, armed assailants fired upon a government convoy, killing at least two government 

officials, four soldiers, nine people, and damaging several vehicles. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed that the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) 

was responsible. 

On 16 October 2008, in Maywand, Kandahar, Afghanistan, armed assailants hijacked a 

passenger bus, holding hostage the approximate 50 civilians who were onboard and damaging 

the bus. The assailants then released the bus with 10 passengers and split the remaining 40 

into separate groups. The victims were then kidnapped and taken to undisclosed locations, 

where they were killed, some of them by beheading while others were fired on. The Taliban 

claimed responsibility. 

On 17 October 2008, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, assailants fired mortars at an African 

Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) peacekeeping base but missed, causing no injuries or 

damages, but prompting an exchange of mortars, killing 14 civilians, wounding 21 others, and 

damaging at least one shop and one residence. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 21 October 2008, at about 7:45 PM, in Ragailong, Imphal City, Manipur, India, assailants 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a group of civilians, killing 

17 civilians and wounding 30 others. The Kangleipak Communist Party-Military Council (KCPMC) claimed responsibility. 

On 23 October 2008, at about 8:00 AM, in the Ar Rusafa district of Baghdad, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber detonated a vehicle-improvised explosive device (VBIED) after ramming into the convoy 

of the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in the central Bab as Sharqi neighborhood, killing 

between three and eight civilians, three police officers, three or four private security guards; 

wounding between 16 and 20 civilians, two police officers, four private security guards; 

damaging two vehicles, one police vehicle, three civilian vehicles, and a dozen shops. No group 

claimed responsibility. 

On 26 October 2008, in Swat, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, assailants kidnapped one tribal 

elder. The tribal elder was immediately rescued by fellow tribal members. The assailants fired 

on the tribal members, killing six soldiers and four civilians; then kidnapped and beheaded one 

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National Counterterrorism Center

soldier; and kidnapped 62 other tribal elders and two soldiers. On 31 October 2008, in the same 

area, all 62 tribal elders were safely released. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

On 29 October 2008, at about 10:00 AM, in Hargeysa, Woqooyi Galbeed, Somalia, three 

suicide bombers detonated vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED), killing at least 

21 civilians (21 Somali; 1 Finnish), four Ethiopian diplomatic workers, two United Nations (UN) 

staff members, one government employee; wounding at least 25 civilians (23 Somali; 2 British), 

four journalists, eight UN staff members, one Ethiopian diplomatic worker; and damaging the 

presidential compound, the Ethiopian consulate office, and several buildings of a UN compound. 

On the same day at about the same time, in Bender Cassim, Bari, Somalia, two suicide 

bombers detonated VBIEDs, killing six intelligence officers and one civilian, wounding 13 

civilians, and damaging two intelligence service compounds. No group claimed responsibility, 

although it was widely believed that al-Shabaab al-Islamiya and al-Qa'ida were responsible. 

On 30 October 2008, at about 11:25 AM, in Gauhati, Assam, India; Kokrajhar, Assam, India; 

Barpeta, Assam, India; and Bongaigaon, Assam, India, assailants detonated three improvised 

explosive devices (IED) and six vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) in crowded 

markets, public places, near a courthouse, and near a hospital, killing 81 civilians, wounding 

approximately 350 others, and damaging six markets, a shop, a hospital, a court building, and 

scores of vehicles. The Islamic Security Force-Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility, but 

authorities believed the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), the National Democratic Front 

of Bodoland (NDFB), and Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B) were responsible. 

On 31 October 2008, at about 5:00 PM, in Thaijuary, North Cachar Hills, Assam, India, 

assailants ambushed and fired upon a police escort vehicle, killing eight police officers and two 

civilians, and damaging the vehicle. No group claimed responsibility, but authorities believed the 

Dima Halim Daogah-Jewel Garlossa (DHD-J) was responsible. 

November 

Between 4 November 2008 and 6 November 2008, in Kiwanja, Nord-Kivu, Democratic Republic 

of the Congo, armed assailants attacked the village and fired upon the occupants, killing up to 

95 civilians and many children, and wounding 33 other civilians. No group claimed 

responsibility, although it was widely believed both the Mai-Mai and National Congress for the 

Defense of the People (CNDP) were responsible. 

On 5 November 2008, at about 2:15 PM, in Vladikavkaz, Severnaya Osetiya-Alaniya, Russia, a 

suspected female suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) on or near a 

passenger minibus, killing 12 people and injuring approximately 40 others, including many 

children. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 6 November 2008, in Batmali, near Khar, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan, a 

suicide bomber entered a meeting of tribal leaders and detonated the improvised explosive 

device (IED) strapped to his body, killing 22 civilians, injuring 51 others, and damaging the 

meeting place. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility. 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

On 7 November 2008, in the evening, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, assailants fired mortars 

at at least one Ethiopian military base and several Somali military checkpoints. The attack on 

the Ethiopians triggered an exchange of gunfire and artillery/mortar fire, killing as many as 

seven civilians and three Ethiopian soldiers and wounding up to 11 soldiers and at least five 

civilians. These totals include the casualties caused when a mortar landed on a house, killing 

three civilians, wounding five others, and damaging the house. Assailants detonated a landmine 

as a Somali military vehicle passed, killing two soldiers, wounding three others and damaging 

the vehicle. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed responsibility. 

On 10 November 2008, at about 8:00 AM, in the 'Azamiyah district of Baghdad, Iraq, assailants 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), near a public market in the 

northern Kasra neighborhood as a minibus transporting girls to school passed, and shortly 

afterward detonated two more roadside IEDs targeting first responders, killing between 17 and 

20 civilians, five children, four Iraqi soldiers, and two police officers; wounding between 62 and 

65 civilians, including several children, three soldiers, and three police officers; setting fire to 15 

civilian cars on fire, damaging the minibus, 10 shops and several vendor stalls. The Kasra 

neighborhood is predominantly Shia. No group claimed responsibility, but it was widely believed 

that the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) perpetrated this attack. 

On 12 November 2008, at about 5:15 PM, in the Sab'ah Nisan district of Baghdad, Iraq, 

assailants detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a bus station in 

the predominantly Shia eastern Baghdad Al Jadidah neighborhood followed by a roadside 

improvised explosive device (IED) targeting police first responders, killing 12 civilians, wounding 

42 others, 12 children, and six police officers, and damaging several cars, a minibus, one police 

vehicle, and several houses and several shops. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 15 November 2008, at about 3:00 PM, in Tall 'Afar, Ninawa, Iraq, a suicide bomber 

detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a car dealership in a 

marketplace, killing 11 civilians, wounding between 28 and 36 others, and damaging several 

shops and several vehicles. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 16 November 2008, in Jalula', Diyala, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne 

improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a police checkpoint, killing six or seven police officers 

and five civilians, wounding eight police officers, one Iraqi soldier, and six civilians, and 

damaging the checkpoint. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 21 November 2008, at 11:00 AM, in Dera Ismail Khan, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, 

assailants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a funeral procession, killing 

10 civilians, wounding 43 others. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 24 November 2008, at about 7:30 AM, in the Sab'ah Nisan district of Baghdad, Iraq, 

assailants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) magnetically attached to a minibus 

transporting Ministry of Trade employees in the eastern Baghdad al Jadidah district, killing 

between 10 and 14 government employees, possibly one child, wounding between four and 

seven government employees, and destroying the minibus. No group claimed responsibility. 

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National Counterterrorism Center

On 23 November 2008, off the coast of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, 10 assailants hijacked a 

fishing trawler and assaulted the crew members, killing four fishermen and the trawler captain. 

Between 26 November 2008, at about 9:20 PM, and 29 November 2008, at about 8:00 AM, in 

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, the assailants fired upon, threw grenades upon, held hostages 

within, and detonated improvised explosive devices (IED) and bombs at several facilities, killing 

140 other civilians, 17 police officers, and two military members; wounding 280 civilians, 25 

military members, and three police officers; and damaging one railway station, one cinema, one 

restaurant, one Jewish cultural center, one hospital, two luxury hotels and several vehicles. 

Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility, although authorities believed Lashkar-e-Tayyiba 

(LT) was responsible. 

On 28 November 2008, in Al Musayyib, Babil, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated the improvised 

explosive device (IED) he was wearing in a line of Muslims waiting to enter a Shiite mosque for 

Friday prayers, killing between eight and 12 civilians, wounding between 15 and 23 others, and 

damaging one mosque. No group claimed responsibility, although it was believed the Islamic 

State of Iraq (ISI) was responsible. 

On 28 November 2008, in the night, in Bannu, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, a suicide bomber 

drove his vehicle into a police checkpoint and detonated his vehicle-borne improvised explosive 

device (VBIED), killing six police officers, seven civilians (5 Pakistani; 2 Afghan), injuring 13 

civilians, three police officers, and destroying the checkpoint. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

December 

On 1 December 2008, at about 11:00 AM, in Musa Qal'eh, Helmand, Afghanistan, a suicide 

bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a police vehicle, killing eight 

civilians, two police officers, wounding 25 civilians, two police officers, and damaging the 

vehicle. The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

On 1 December 2008, at about 1:00 PM, in the Ar Rusafa district of Baghdad, Iraq, a suicide 

bomber detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) he was wearing at a crowd of police 

recruits leaving from classes at the Baghdad Police Academy on Eastern Palestine Street. One 

minute later, a separate suicide bomber detonated his vehicle-borne improvised explosive 

device (VBIED) targeting first responders. In total, 11 police recruits and five police officers were 

killed, 35 police recruits and 11 police officers were wounded, and several cars, two minivans, 

and the police academy entrance were damaged. No group claimed responsibility, although the 

United States military blamed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). 

On 1 December 2008, at about 1:00 PM, in the Mosul al Jadidah district of western Mosul, 

Ninawa, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) 

near a joint Iraqi police-United States military convoy, killing 14 civilians and two police officers; 

wounding 30 civilians, two police officers, and four United States (US) soldiers; and damaging at 

least one police vehicle and one US military vehicle. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 1 December 2008, on the Charbagh-Mingaora road, near Mingaora, North-West Frontier, 

Pakistan, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

targeting a military checkpoint, killing 11 civilians, wounding 64 civilians, two soldiers, damaging 

the checkpoint, and several vehicles. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 4 December 2008, at 11:07 AM, in the Julan and Al Shurta districts of northern Al Fallujah, 

Al Anbar, Iraq, in a coordinated attack, two separate suicide bombers detonated vehicle-borne 

improvised explosive devices (VBIED) targeting the Jolan and Al Hudhayri police stations, killing 

12 police officers, six civilians, and one child; wounding 147 people, including police officers, 

civilians, and children; and damaging two police stations, seven houses, and a school. The 

Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility. 

From 4 December 2008 to 6 December 2008, in Guri Ceel, Galguduud, Somalia, armed 

assailants kidnapped a Muslim cleric. The assailants then attacked members of at least two 

local Muslim militias, killing at least seven civilians, including firing upon three civilians as they 

were trying to escape the fighting in a truck, and several militia members, wounding at least 18 

civilians and militia members, and damaging the truck. Al-Shabaab al-Islamiya claimed 

responsibility. 

On 5 December 2008, in Orakzai, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan, a suicide 

bomber prematurely detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) while 

attempting to target a local fair, killing 10 civilians and wounding 15 others. No group claimed 

responsibility. 

On 11 December 2008, at about 1:50 PM, on the Kirkuk-Arbil road, nine miles north of Kirkuk, 

At Ta'mim, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated his improvised explosive device (IED) at the 

Abdullah Restaurant, killing 46 civilians, seven children, one popular Turkomen singer, and a 

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) branch chief; wounding 104 civilians including several 

children (1 Canadian; 104 Iraqis), and five bodyguards; and damaging the restaurant. It was 

believed that the intended targets of the bomber were members of the PUK and local Arab tribal 

leaders who were meeting to discuss resolutions to ethnic tensions in Kirkuk, prior to a 

scheduled meeting with President Jalal Talibani. No group claimed responsibility, but the United 

States (US) military blamed this attack on the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). 

On 13 December 2008, in Swat, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, assailants fired on an antiTaliban cleric and his followers, killing eight civilians, the cleric, wounding several civilians, and 

kidnapping 25 civilians. The assailants also set fire to residences, damaging 16. On 15 

December 2008, in the same area, two of the kidnap victims were killed. The Taliban claimed 

responsibility. 

On 17 December 2008, between 11:00 AM and 11:30 AM, in the Ar Rusafa district of Baghdad, 

Iraq, assailants detonated a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) then detonated a 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) as first responders and civilians gathered to 

watch outside the traffic police headquarters in the eastern Mustansiryah neighborhood, killing 

two or three police officers, 15 or 16 civilians; wounding between eight and 18 police officers, 

between 25 and 47 civilians; damaging one police headquarters, 15 civilian vehicles, several 

shops, and residences. No group claimed responsibility. 

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National Counterterrorism Center

From 24 December 2008 to 27 December 2008, near Doromo, Orientale, Democratic Republic 

of the Congo (DRC), assailants using machetes, swords, and clubs stormed a church, killing 

between 32 and 85 civilians including a number of children, wounding several other civilians, 

and damaging the church. Associated assailants also assaulted people in the village, killing 

between 55 and 149 civilians, ransacking several homes, and stealing food and other property. 

No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Lord's Resistance Army 

(LRA) was responsible. 

From 25 December 2008 to 27 December 2008, in Faradje, Orientale, Democratic Republic of 

the Congo (DRC), assailants assaulted villagers, killing between 46 and 66 civilians, two 

Catholic priests, the chief doctor and a pharmacist; raped many women, wounding 80 female 

civilians; beat several civilians, wounding four civilians, kidnapping many other civilians 

including 20 children; set fire to hundreds of homes, damaging 801 homes, three schools and 

several healthcare centers and government buildings; and looted several businesses, homes 

and a hospital. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Lord's 

Resistance Army (LRA) was responsible. 

On 25 December 2008, in Bitima, Orientale, Democratic Republic of the Congo, assailants 

attacked the village, killing 17 civilians by unknown means. No group claimed responsibility, 

although military sources believed the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) was responsible. 

From 25 December 2008 to 27 December 2008, in Gurba, Orientale, Democratic Republic of 

the Congo (DRC), assailants with machetes and clubs assaulted civilians, killing between 60 

and 213 civilians. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Lord's 

Resistance Army (LRA) was responsible. 

From 25 December 2008 to 27 December 2008, in Bangadi, Orientale, Democratic Republic of 

the Congo, assailants using machetes and clubs assaulted civilians, killing 48 civilians. No 

group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) 

was responsible. 

From 25 December 2008 to 27 December 2008, in Duru, Orientale, Democratic Republic of the 

Congo (DRC), assailants assaulted villagers, killing 75 civilians and then set fire to a church, 

destroying the church. No group claimed responsibility, although it was widely believed the 

Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) was responsible. 

On 27 December 2008, between 11:00 AM and noon, in the Al Kazimiyah district of Baghdad, 

Iraq, assailants detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a Shiite 

shrine in the northwestern Az Zahra' neighborhood, killing between 22 and 25 civilians including 

several children, wounding between 50 and 54 civilians including several children, and 

damaging dozens of vehicles. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 28 December 2008, at about 10:30 AM, in Esma'il Kheyl, Khowst, Afghanistan, a suicide 

bomber drove his vehicle through an Afghan National Army (ANA) checkpoint and detonated his 

vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), killing 14 students who were walking 

alongside a military compound near the checkpoint, one ANA soldier, one civilian, injuring 58 

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2008 Report on Terrorism 

people, destroying the checkpoint and causing damage to the military compound. The Taliban 

claimed responsibility. 

On 28 December 2008, in the morning, in Saravan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Iran, a suicide 

bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) vest, killing 45 border police officers 

and damaging a police checkpoint. No group claimed responsibility. 

On 28 December 2008, in Shalbandi, near Buner, North-West Frontier, Pakistan, a suicide 

bomber parked his vehicle near a polling station and detonated his vehicle-borne improvised 

explosive device (VBIED), killing 35 civilians, four children, four police officers, injuring 16 

civilians, and destroying the polling station and damaging several residences, a market and a 

nearby mosque. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility. 

On 31 December 2008, in Musa Qal'eh, Helmand, Afghanistan, armed assailants fired upon the 

compound belonging to a district chief, killing 20 of his bodyguards and damaging the facility. 

The Taliban claimed responsibility. 

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To: NCTC 

From: Gary LaFree, Director, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to 

Terrorism (START), University of Maryland 

Date: March 28, 2009 

Subject: Challenges and Recommendations for Measuring Terrorism 

Compared to most types of criminal violence, terrorism poses special conceptual and 

methodological challenges. To begin with the term “terrorism” yields varying definitions, often 

loaded with political and emotional implications. As PLO Chairman Arafat famously noted in a 

1974 speech before the United Nations, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” 

Defining terrorism is no less complex for researchers. Researchers have identified dozens of 

different definitions of terrorism and it is not unusual for academic conferences to dedicate hours 

of discussion to exploring and defending competing definitions. Beyond the challenge of 

arriving at a defensible definition of terrorism are considerable challenges in collecting valid data 

on terrorism. In criminology, data on illegal violence come traditionally from three sources, 

corresponding to the major social roles connected to criminal events: “official” data collected by 

legal agents, especially the police; “victimization” data collected from the general population of 

victims and non-victims; and “self-report” data collected from offenders. However, each of 

these three data sources is problematic for examining terrorism: Official data on terrorism is 

incomplete because most individuals convicted of terrorism-related crimes are actually sentenced 

on non-terrorism charges such as homicide or weapons possession. Victimization data are 

difficult because often victims are randomly chosen, have little specialized knowledge about the 

attack, or do not survive the attack. And gaining access to active offenders through self-report 

surveys is both difficult and dangerous. 

Because of the challenges of collecting traditional crime data on terrorism, open source event 

data bases have received a great deal of attention over the past four decades. These data bases 

rely on reports about terrorism from the print or electronic media. Open source data bases began 

to appear in the early 1970s, and there were more than a dozen of them by the late 1990s. 

Terrorism event data bases have grown more comprehensive and systematic over time. Event 

data bases have serious limitations. The media may report inaccuracies and lies; there may be 

conflicting information or false, multiple or no claims of responsibility. Government censorship 

and disinformation may also affect results. Yet while event data bases have serious limitations, 

compared to more traditional criminology data, they also have important advantages. In 

particular, because of the compelling interest that terrorist groups have in media attention, open 

source information may be uniquely useful in the study of terrorism. And compared to most 

criminology data, terrorism event data are not limited to highly industrialized countries. While it 

is the case that traditional media under-report news stemming from developing countries or in 
highly autocratic states, the salience of terrorism as a phenomenon today makes it more likely 

than ever that media will report such incidents as information becomes available. 

These evolving open source terrorist event data bases have allowed for more rigorous 

analysis of terrorism and terrorist activity. However, a major drawback of these data collections 

is that they have traditionally excluded domestic terrorist attacks. In general, international 

terrorist attacks are those involving a national or a group of nationals from one country crossing 

international borders and attacking targets in another country. Domestic attacks are those 

involving a national or a group of nationals attacking targets in their home country. Part of the 

reason for excluding domestic attacks from these data bases is bureaucratic. Many governmental 

agencies, including the U.S. State Department, have had a long history of concentrating on 

international terrorism. But beyond the tradition of dividing bureaucratic responsibility for 

terrorism according to international-domestic distinctions was the practical challenge of 

collecting global data on a very large number of incidents: Sources that have compared domestic 

and international terrorist attacks have concluded that the former outnumber the latter by as 

much as seven to one. Nevertheless, the gravity of excluding domestic attacks can be felt when 

we consider that two of the most noteworthy terrorist events of the 1990s--the March 1995 nerve 

agent attack on the Tokyo subway and the April 1995 bombing of the federal office building in 

Oklahoma City--would remain unrecorded in most event data bases because both lacked any 

known foreign involvement. 

In recent years, there have been major new efforts to overcome this shortcoming by 

systematically collecting domestic event data. Both the Worldwide Incidents Tracking System 

(WITS), collected by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and the Global Terrorism 

Database (GTD), collected by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and 

Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland, have tackled the problem of 

collecting data on domestic attacks. The NCTC was established in August 2004 by Presidential 

order as the primary organization in the United States Government for collecting, integrating and 

analyzing data on terrorism and counterterrorism. In December 2004, Congress codified the 

NCTC in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act and placed the NCTC in the 

Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The WITS data now provide an important new 

unclassified, publicly available data source on terrorism (http://wits.nctc.gov/Main.do). NCTC 

began reporting event-based data on terrorism in 2004 and substantially improved the 

comprehensiveness of their data collection efforts in 2005. 

The original GTD was produced by a team at the START Center at the University of 

Maryland which began by computerizing an earlier data base that included information on 

terrorist attacks from 1970 to 1997. In April 2006 START received additional funding from the 

Department of Homeland Security to extend the GTD beyond 1997. The project to extend GTD 

data was conducted by a team from the Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies working in 

conjunction with START researchers. In March 2009, START released an updated terrorism 

data base that included more than 80,000 attacks—both domestic and international--spanning the 

years 1970 to 2007 (http://www.start.umd.edu/ gtd). START plans to release updated versions 

of the data as they become available. 
Now that we have access to increasingly comprehensive terrorism event data bases like 

WITS and GTD, it is possible to think constructively about ways to further improve their quality 

and to expand the types of analyses being conducted with the data. I recommend three: 

validation studies, expanding data bases beyond completed terrorist attacks, and geo-spatial 

analysis. First, as event data bases improve, new avenues for validating them become feasible. 

An important method for assessing the quality of event data bases on terrorism will be to do 

systematic comparisons between different sources of event data and between terrorism data 

drawn from other sources. Thus far there have been very few comparative studies of this type 

owing to many of the methodological problems encountered in defining and measuring 

terrorism: no universally accepted definition of terrorism, the absence of international data from 

official sources, and difficulties in conducting victimization or self report surveys. Still, much 

more can be done. In some situations, it is possible to compare event data to police or court data, 

including corrections statistics on terrorism from individual countries. It is also possible to 

examine media sources used in the WITS and GTD data to look for differential patterns of bias 

and incorrect or incomplete reporting. In addition, much primary data are collected by 

intelligence agents, including data from communications intercepts, surveillance, informers, 

defectors, interrogation of prisoners, and captured internal documents (e.g., memos, training 

manuals). While most of these sources are not readily available to researchers working in an 

open, unclassified environment, there are important opportunities provided by official data on 

terrorism that have not been adequately exploited. In particular, researchers could do more to 

examine court records and transcripts, government reports and hearings and declassified 

intelligence reports. 

Second, an important limitation of event data bases is that they exist in a vacuum, only 

providing information on actual attacks without any context for failed plots of for situations 

when a group decided to use an approach other than terrorism to pursue their goals. The utility 

of databases like WITS and the GTD could be greatly increased by combining them with data 

bases that provide a more complex range of independent and dependent variables. For example, 

START is embarking on research that allows analysts to compare terrorist attacks to non-terrorist 

actions taken by extremist groups. This could include a wide variety of activity ranging from 

legitimate political participation to social service functions to crime and piracy. This approach 

can also be applied to analyses designed to provide insights on terrorist target selection. In this 

realm, START is conducting a project to examine why terrorists employ IEDs against specific 

targets while not launching such weapons at other similar targets. By expanding and applying 

event data bases in this way, we can begin to address the question of when and why individuals 

and groups choose terrorist methods instead of other methods. When examined in a longitudinal 

framework, such analysis strategies may also give us insight into behavior that precedes terrorist 

attacks, such as crimes committed before terrorist attacks occur. 

And finally, perhaps the two most salient characteristics of comprehensive event data bases 

like WITS and GTD is their longitudinal and spatial dimensions. Thus far, the longitudinal 

characteristics of these data bases have been exploited much more frequently than their spatial 

characteristics. Descriptive point maps can be useful for identifying locations of attacks and 

groups claiming responsibility. But more sophisticated analysis can be done using exploratory 

spatial data analysis techniques. For example, such methods are useful for distinguishing 

between random and non-random spatial patterns of events—such as how a specific type of 
terrorism like suicide bombings spreads across regions. Even better would be more analysis that 

extends static cross-sectional views of the spatial distribution of events to consider dynamic 

features of changes over time in spatial dependencies. 

The NCTC should be applauded for substantially improving the government’s publicly available 

data on terrorism. The comprehensiveness and validity of the WITS data far surpasses the data 

on international terrorism that formed the basis of the earlier reports prepared by the U.S. State 

Department. The NCTC should also be praised for making the WITS data publicly available and 

for seeking feedback from the research community. As psychologist Donald Campbell has 

pointed out, there is nothing that moves knowledge ahead faster than a “disputatious community 

of truth seekers.” Making data publicly available provides an important mechanism for critical 

feedback. Openness adds oxygen to the flame of scientific inquiry.

“The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the author and should not be interpreted as 

necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland 

Security or START.” 


www.nctc.gov