Incident Summary:
01/25/2010: On Monday night at 2300, in the Chandapathar area of Bankura, West Bengal, India, Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-M) militants attacked a police camp. A second camp in the same district in Satnala was also attacked by the militants. During the attack in Satnala, two police officers were abducted and a large supply of self-loading rifles and AK-47s and ammunition were stolen. The attacks lead to heavy firing between the policemen and the Maoists that lasted for over one-and-a-half hours. Eight policemen were wounded in the two attacks. The body of Constable Sanjay Ghosh was discovered in a forest near the camp on 01/26/2010. Ghosh had been shot and killed by the assailants. Another police constable, Ajay Pande, reported to the Barikulk police station on 01/27/2010. Bankura Superintendent of Police Bishal Garg said that Pande returned to the police station unharmed and details about where he was for the last two days had not yet been determined. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Overview
GTD ID:
201001250002
When:
2010-01-25
Country:
India
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
West Bengal
City:
Bankura
Location Details:
The attack took place at a police camp in the Chandapathar area of Bankura.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Police |
Name of Entity |
Bankura Law Enforcement |
Specific Description |
A police camp was targeted in the attack. |
Nationality of Target |
India |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Weapon Details |
Unknown firearms were 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 |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 8 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
8 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Jane's Intelligence, "Suspected CPI-M Militants Attack Police Camp in India's West Bengal," Jane's Intelligence, January 27, 2010. |
South Asia Terrorism Portal, "Maoists Kill One Policeman and a CPI-Marxist supporter in West Bengal," http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/detailsmall_news.asp?date1=1/27/2010&id=2 (January 27, 2010). |
South Asia Terrorism Portal, "Missing Constable Returns to West Bengal Police Station," http://www.khabarexpress.com/27/01/2010-115433/Missing-constable-returns-to-West-Bengal-police-station-news_133667.html (January 27, 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