Incident Summary:
05/01/2010: On Saturday afternoon around 1245, in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, unknown assailants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a senior Al-Shabaab commander, Fuad Muhammad Khalaf, at the Abdala Shideye mosque in the Bakara market; while people rushed to help the wounded another IED detonated. The casualties were listed cumulatively as 19 people killed and 31 others injured, including Khalaf. The mosque was damaged in the attack and no group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Overview
GTD ID:
201005010002
When:
2010-05-01
Country:
Somalia
Region:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Banaadir
City:
Mogadishu
Location Details:
The incident occurred in Howlwadag district in Mogadishu.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Civilians were targeted in the attack. |
Nationality of Target |
Somalia |
Target Type: Terrorists/Non-state Militia |
Name of Entity |
Al-Shabaab |
Specific Description |
An Al-Shabaab commander, Fuad Muhammad Khalaf, was targeted in the attack. |
Nationality of Target |
Somalia |
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 |
Other Explosive Type |
Weapon Details |
Two improvised explosive devices were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
No |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
Yes |
Alternate Designation () |
Intra/Inter-group Conflict |
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 |
19 Fatalities / 31 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
19 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
31 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Sudarsan Raghavan, "Two Blasts Kill at Least 30 People in Somali Capital," Washington Post, May 2, 2010, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/01/AR2010050102042.html. |
Xinhua News Agency, "Explosions Kill Dozens in Mosque of Somali Capital," Xinhua News Agency, May 1, 2010, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-05/01/c_13275206.htm. |
National Counterterrorism Center, "Nineteen Civilians Killed, 34 Others Wounded in IED Attack in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia," Worldwide Incidents Tracking System, October 6, 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