Incident Summary:
07/25/2009: On Saturday afternoon at 1330, in Khost, Khost, Afghanistan, in one of two related attacks, at least seven assailants wearing suicide vests and firing machine guns, targeted a commercial bank, wounding two police officers, 14 civilians, and three military service members. The bank was also damaged in the attack. North Atlantic Treaty Organization's International Security Assistance Force said that all seven insurgents were killed by Afghan security forces. Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in talks with media via telephone from an undisclosed location claimed responsibility for the attack. The militants vowed to disrupt the coming Afghan presidential election, which will be held on August 20, 2009.
Overview
GTD ID:
200907250007
When:
2009-07-25
Country:
Afghanistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Khost
City:
Khost
Location Details:
The attack took place at a commercial bank in Khost, Khost, Afghanistan.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
A commercial bank |
Nationality of Target |
Afghanistan |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Suicide (carried bodily by human being) |
Firearms |
Automatic Weapon |
Weapon Details |
Suicide vests and machine guns were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | Yes |
Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
This was one of two related attacks (cf. 200907250008). The available sources listed the fatalities for these attacks cumulatively as seven, and the injuries for these attacks cumulatively as 19, so these figures have been distributed evenly for these cases in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. The available sources listed the injuries of the policemen for this attack from two to three to five, and because no majority figures were reported, the lowest proferred casualty figures were used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. The attack was reflected as successful because the militants opened fire during the attack; however, the suicide bombings were unsuccessful because the militants were killed before they were able to detonate their vests. Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Taliban |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Call (post-incident)) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
7 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
4 Fatalities / 10 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
4 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
4 |
Total Number of Injured |
10 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
National Counterterrorism Center, "Two Police Officers, One Civilian, One Child Wounded in Armed and Suicide VBIED Attack by Taliban in Khowst, Khowst, Afghanistan," Worldwide Incidents Tracking System, February 17, 2010. |
CNN (Cable News Network), "Seven Suicide Attackers Strike at Afghan Facilities," http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/25/afghanistan.wrap/index.html (July 25, 2009). |
Xinhua News Agency, "Heavy Fighting Erupts in E Afghanistan, Killing Several," http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/25/content_11770852.htm (July 25, 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