Incident Summary:
04/06/2010: On Tuesday, in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, India, Communist Party of India- Maoist (CPI-M) cadres opened fire with small arms and detonated a land mine targeting a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle, killing 76 security personnel, including 15 commandos of the Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (Cobra) force. The Maoists claimed responsibility and admitted to losing eight of its cadres in the attack. Godsa Usendi, spokesman of the outfit's Dandakaranya special zone committee, stated that about two companies (300 men) of People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) participated in the operation. He also claimed that the attack, which they had planned for five to six months, had three objectives: crippling Operation Green Hunt, avenging the killing of top leaders in fake encounters, and saving the people of Bastar region.
Overview
GTD ID:
201004060005
When:
2010-04-06
Country:
India
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Chhattisgarh
City:
Dantewada district
Location Details:
The attack took place in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, India.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Military |
Name of Entity |
Indian COBRA Military Forces |
Specific Description |
Fifteen COBRA commandos were targeted. |
Nationality of Target |
India |
Target Type: Police |
Name of Entity |
India Law Enforcement |
Specific Description |
Central Reserve Police Force personnel |
Nationality of Target |
India |
Target Type: Police |
Name of Entity |
India Law Enforcement |
Specific Description |
A Central Reserve Police Force vehicle was targeted. |
Nationality of Target |
India |
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 |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Explosives |
Land Mine |
Weapon Details |
Unknown firearms and one landmine were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
No |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
Yes |
Alternate Designation () |
Insurgency/Guerilla Action |
Additional Information |
The most recent available sources listed the fatalities for this attack from 55 to 76, and reported no injuries, so the majority casualty figures have been used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
300 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
82 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
82 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
8 |
Total Number of Injured |
0 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Pioneer, "India: Maoists Say Six Apr Attack on Security Men After Five-Six Months of Preparation," World News Connection, Pioneer, April 09, 2010. |
Agence France Presse, "AFP: Indian Maoists Kill Fifty-Five Policemen in Ambush," World News Connection, Agence France Presse, April 6, 2010. |
Daily Pak Banker, "India: Maoists Kill 76 Security Men; Govt Vows to Hit Back," LexisNexis Academic, Daily Pak Banker, April 8, 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