Incident Summary:
11/25/2009: On Wednesday at morning at 1030, an improvised explosive device targeted diners inside the restaurant in central Karbala, Iraq. A booby trapped motorcycle detonated minutes later targeting the ambulance and medics that arrived to help the wounded, causing most of the casualties. The total amount of casualties from all sources were conflicted. The most substantiated casualty report from both explosions was 46. At least 21 civilians and five police personnel were injured. An unknown amount of people were killed. No damage was reported. No group claimed responsibility.
Overview
GTD ID:
200911250004
When:
2009-11-25
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Karbala
City:
Karbala
Location Details:
The incident occurred at a restaurant in central Karbala, Iraq.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Other |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
All first responders to the first improvised explosive device (IED) attack were targeted in the incident. |
Nationality of Target |
Iraq |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Vehicle |
Weapon Details |
A booby-trapped car was used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
The most recent available sources listed the fatalities for this attack from zero to five, and the injuries for this attack from 19 to 26 to 30 to 46, so the majority casualty figures have been used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. The available sources listed the time of the incident for this attack from 0900 to 1030, and because no majority figures were reported, the time of the incident was taken from the source with the highest validity in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. |
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 |
5 Fatalities / 26 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
5 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
26 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Press TV, "Twin Blasts Injure Dozens in Karbala," http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=112139§ionid=351020201 (November 25, 2009). |
Aswat al Iraq, "Final Toll From Karbala Blast Reaches 46," http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=122579 (November 25, 2009). |
National Counterterrorism Center, "Five People Killed, Four-One Civilians, Five Police Officers Wounded in IED and VBIED Attacks in Karbala', Karbala', Iraq," Worldwide Incidents Tracking System, April 12, 2010. |
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