Incident Summary:
09/13/2008: On Saturday evening between 1815 and 1838, at least 21 Indian Mujahideen (IM) insurgents detonated five improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in crowded markets and tourist areas in New Delhi, Delhi province, India. The bomb blasts killed a total 24 civilians, wounded at least 63 others and damaged several shops and vehicles and one subway station. The third explosion occurred at Connaught Place Park killing five civilians and wounding 11 others. Authorities later found and safely defused four more IEDs planted by IM insurgents in New Delhi. The Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the incident although Indian police stated that the serial bombings were perpetrated by the IM and the Students of Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), with support from Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT). On 09/19/2008 on Friday, police arrested one suspected perpetrator, killed two in a gunfight while two others who were also suspected of carrying out the attacks managed to escape. Several months later on 04/22/2009 on Wednesday, a court in Delhi issued non-bailable warrants against 16 suspected IM militants, including its founder Amir Raza Khan, for their involvement in the serial bombing attacks.
Overview
GTD ID:
200809130012
When:
2008-09-13
Country:
India
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Delhi
City:
New Delhi
Location Details:
The third bombing attack took place in Connaught Place Park in New Delhi, Delhi province, India.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
Connaught Place Park |
Specific Description |
Connaught Place Park |
Nationality of Target |
India |
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Civilians were also targeted.. |
Nationality of Target |
India |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Unknown |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Unknown Explosive Type |
Weapon Details |
Unknown explosives were used in the bombing attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
This was one of seven related attacks (cf. 200809130001, 200809130015, 200809130013, 200809130014, 200809130017 and 200809130022). The available sources listed the fatalities for these attacks from 20 to 31, and the injuries for these attacks from 40 to 100, so these figures have been averaged in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. The available sources listed the fatalities for attacks 200809130015 and 200809130012 cumulatively as 11, and the injuries for these attacks cumulatively as 23, so these figures have been distributed evenly for these cases in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
21 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
1 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
5 Fatalities / 11 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
5 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
11 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Guardian, "Militants Die after Gun Battle with Police in Delhi," Guardian, September 19, 2008. |
Yahoo News, "Indian Police in Gunbattle with Islamic Terrorists in Capital," September 19, 2008, http://www.news.yahoo.com. |
Jane's Terrorism Watch Report, "Indian Police Claim Militant Groups Responsible for New Delhi Blasts," Jane's Intelligence, September 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