Incident Summary:
02/13/2009: On Friday evening, in one of two related attacks, 20 Communist Party of India- Maoist militantsâ after assaulting villagers in Churhatpat, went to nearby Sabagh village and set the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) generator on fire by using the diesel in its fuel tank. According to a senior police officer, the generator set was completely damaged. Prior to that, the Maoists assaulted two villagers for giving land to the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in order to put up mobile towers in Churhatpat village in Balrampur, Chhattisgarh, India. The victims, identified as Sagar Yadav and Bandhan Ram, were thrashed and asked to take their land back from the BSNL, police said. The Times of India reported that the Maoists also looted BSNL cellular and wireless in local loop (WLL) phones from residents of Churhatpat village near Kusmi under the Samri Police Station in the Balrampur District in an effort to block communication between villagers and police. According to police, the Naxalites entered the village and asked children about the villagers who owned either a cellular and WLL set and then set about taking them. No group claimed responsibility; however, a police officer mentioned that the rebels may have attacked the residents to prevent them from passing on information about Naxalite movement in the region.
Overview
GTD ID:
200902130019
When:
2009-02-13
Country:
India
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Chhattisgarh
City:
Balrampur
Location Details:
The attack took place in Sabagh village in Balrampur.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Facility/Infrastructure Attack |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Telecommunication |
Name of Entity |
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited |
Specific Description |
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) generator |
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 |
Incendiary |
Gasoline or Alcohol |
Weapon Details |
Diesel from the fuel tank was used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
20 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
0 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
National Counterterrorism Center, "Two Civilians Wounded in Assault by Suspected CPI-Maoist in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, India," Worldwide Incidents Tracking System, December 09, 2009. |
Times of India, "Maoists Loot Phones in Border Village," Times of India, February 16, 2009, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Maoists-loot-phones-in-border-village/articleshow/4132629.cms. |
South Asia Terrorism Portal, "Maoists Set Ablaze Communication Machines and Loot Phones in Chhattisgarh,"http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/detailed_news.asp?date1=2/16/2009#3 (February 16, 2009). |
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