Incident Summary:
06/19/2008: On Thursday, suspected Sunni Muslim gunmen killed six people, five of whom were truck drivers, and wounded 14 bystanders when they fired at a convoy of 24 trucks carrying food supplies to Shiite villages in northwestern Pakistan. The apparent sectarian attack, which took place on a road in the Kurram tribal region 19 miles west of Parachinar district, Federally Administered Tribal Areas province, Pakistan, was suspected to be carried out as a reaction to the shooting death of a Sunni man in Shalozan Tangi on 06/17/2008. The assailants also set 14 of the trucks on fire and kidnapped eight Shiite Muslim truck drivers following the armed attack. Heavy gunfire between the attackers and the escorting military soldiers forced the gunmen to retreat. The bodies of the eight hostages were later found dumped near a road in the Alizai area of the Kurram tribal region, west of Parachinar district, Federally Administered Tribal Areas province, Pakistan, on the night of 06/22/2008.No claim of responsibility was made for the incident.
Overview
GTD ID:
200806190010
When:
2008-06-19
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
City:
Kurram district
Location Details:
On a road in the Kurram tribal region 19 miles west of Parachinar district, Federally Administered Tribal Areas province, Pakistan.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Type of Attack () |
Facility/Infrastructure Attack |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Food or Water Supply |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Twenty four trucks headed for Shiite villages near Parachinar |
Nationality of Target |
Pakistan |
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Eight Shiite Muslim truck drivers were also targeted. |
Nationality of Target |
Pakistan |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
8 |
US Hostages |
0 |
Days of Kidnapping |
3 |
Outcome |
Hostage(s) killed (not during rescue attempt) |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Major (likely > $1 million but < $1 billion) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Incendiary |
Arson/Fire |
Unknown |
|
Weapon Details |
Unknown firearms were used in the firearm and hostage taking attack,an unknown incendiary device was used in the arson attack and unknown weapons were used in the killing of the hostages. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Unknown |
No |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
7 Fatalities / 14 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
7 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
14 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Associated Press, "Suspected Sunni Muslims Attack Food Convoy in Northwest Pakistan, Killing 6," Associated Press, June 19, 2008. |
Deutsche Presse-Agentur, "Convoy Attack Kills Seven in Northwest Pakistan," Lexis Nexis, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, June 19, 2008. |
Agence France Presse, "Eight Shot Dead in Sectarian Violence in Pakistan," Lexis Nexis, Agence France Presse, June 23, 2008. |
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