Incident Summary:
02/08/2003: During the night, Shaukat Haji Mushir, a leading commander of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) was assassinated alongside five others in Qamesh Tapa, near Halabja, during a meeting with Ansar al-Islam terrorist organization who pretended to be defecting from the organization. They were killed by grenades and AK-47 gunfire. Among the dead were two bodyguards, and four civilians. The three perpetrators from Ansar al-Islam managed to escape, and kidnapped three PUK guards to the Ansar-al-Islam controlled village of Byara. Ansar al-Islam claimed responsibility on its website between 02/08/2003 and 02/11/2003, claiming that the assassination was part of a plot to divide Kurdish groups.
Overview
GTD ID:
200302080001
When:
2003-02-08
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Unknown
City:
Qamesh Tapa
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Assassination |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Violent Political Party |
Name of Entity |
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) |
Specific Description |
Commander: Shaukat Haji Mushir |
Nationality of Target |
Iraq |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
3 |
US Hostages |
0 |
Outcome |
Unknown |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Unknown |
Extent of Property Damage |
Unknown |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Automatic Weapon |
Explosives |
Grenade |
Weapon Details |
AK-47s and grenades were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
Another statement on the Ansar website alongside the claim of responsibility for this incident, stated that the PUK had offered 150 Ansar militants great amounts of cash to defect, attack Ansar, allow the PUK to recapture the area, and attack the Kurdistan Democratic Party--the PUK's main political rival. Ansar al-Islam is well known to be linked to al-Qa'ida. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Ansar al-Islam |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Posted to website, blog, etc.) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
3 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
6 Fatalities / 1 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
6 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
1 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Stephan Smith, "Top Iraqi Kurd official assassinated in ambush by al-Qaeda linked group," AFP, February 9, 2003. |
Borzou Daragahi, "Attackers kill Kurdish political leader," AP, February 9, 2003. |
Jonathan S. Landay, "Alleged al Qaeda-linked group admits to killing general," Miami Herald, February 11, 2003. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties