Back to Search ResultsIncident Summary:
05/16/2003: In a series of five related incidents, suicide bombers blew themselves up in a Spanish club in Casablanca, Morocco. At least 19 people died in this explosion. The attack was part of five nearly simultaneous suicide attacks in Casablanca which killed 45 people, including 12 of the bombers, and wounded 100. Hundreds of people were later arrested in connection with the string of five suicide attacks. Of those arrested, eighty-seven people later tried in court were suspected to have been members of Salafia Jihadia. It was unclear if the perpetrators responsible for the attack had links with Al-Qaida.Overview
GTD ID:
200305160003
When:
2003-05-16
Country:
Morocco
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Greater Casablanca
City:
Casablanca
What
| Target Type: Business | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name of Entity | Civilians | ||
| Specific Description | Indiscriminate civilians at a Spanish club in Casablanca, Morocco | ||
| Nationality of Target | Multinational | ||
| Hostages | No |
| Ransom | No |
| Property Damage | Yes |
| Extent of Property Damage | Unknown |
| Value of Property Damage | Unknown |
How
| Type | Sub-type |
|---|---|
| Explosives | Suicide (carried bodily by human being) |
| Suicide Attack? | Yes |
| Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
| Criterion 1 (more) | Yes |
| Criterion 2 (more) | Yes |
| Criterion 3 (more) | Yes |
| Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) | No |
| Additional Information | This was one of the five related incidents (cf. 20030516003-07). The total number of casualties was cumulatively reported as 45 fatalities and 100 injuries and these figures have been distributed evenly across these cases in order to preserve the statistical accuracy of the database. Twelve of the fourteen suicide bombers died in the five attacks. The investigation attributed the attack to the Salafia Jihadia. All the suicide bombers were coming from the same shanty town near Casablanca. Links with Al-Qaida and the suicide attacks in Riyadh four days earlier were also found. On August 19, 2003, a Casablanca criminal court sentenced to death four of the perpetrators in this incident, Hassan Taousi, Mohamed El Omari, Rachid Jalil, Yassine Lahnechearly. Prison sentences ranging from 10 months to life were given to the rest of the accused, including Miloudi Zakaria, who was sentenced to life in prison, and Mohammed Fizazi, Abdelkrim Chadli, and Omar Haddouchi, who were given 30-year sentences. |
Who
| Group Name | Claimed Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Salafia Jihadia (suspected) | No |
| Number of Perpetrators | 87 |
| Number of Captured Perpetrators | 87 |
| Total Number of Casualties | 19 Fatalities / 20 Injured |
| Total Number of Fatalities | 19 |
| Number of U.S. Fatalities | 0 |
| Number of Perpetrator Fatalities | 3 |
| Total Number of Injured | 20 |
| Number of U.S. Injured | Unknown |
| Number of Perpetrators Injured | 0 |
Sources
| Elaine Sciolino, "Aftereffects: Casablanca, officials suspect global terror tie in Morocco blasts," The New York Times, May 18, 2003. |
| Gina Dogget, "Morocco grapples with first major terrorist attack," Agence France Presse, May 18, 2003. |
| "Four death sentences handed down in Casablanca blast trial," Agence France Presse, August 19, 2003. |
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