Incident Summary:
07/14/2010: On Wednesday morning at 0800, in Zinjibar, Abyan, Yemen, in one of two related attacks targeting headquarters buildings, 15 unknown gunmen on motorbikes armed with rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and grenades attacked the Yemeni security headquarters building. Afterwards, a gun battle ensued between security forces and the militants and the attackers then fled toward Jaar in north of Zinjibar. The attack resulted in the deaths of two policemen and one gunman, the injury of five policemen and security officials and caused an unknown amount of property damage to the intelligence building. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, however, authorities suspect that Yemeni Al Qaeda militants were responsible.
Overview
GTD ID:
201007140008
When:
2010-07-14
Country:
Yemen
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Abyan
City:
Zinjibar
Location Details:
At the Yemeni security headquarters in Zinjibar, Abyan, Yemen.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Police |
Name of Entity |
Yemeni Security Headquarters |
Specific Description |
The Yemeni security headquarters building |
Nationality of Target |
Yemen |
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 |
Automatic Weapon |
Explosives |
Grenade |
Explosives |
Projectile (rockets, mortars, RPGs, etc.) |
Weapon Details |
Assault rifles, grenades and rocket-propelled grenades 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 |
Additional Information |
This was one of two related attacks (cf. 201007140007). The available sources listed the fatalities for the gunmen for these attacks cumulatively as two, and the injuries of the policemen for these attacks cumulatively as 11, so these figures have been distributed evenly for these cases in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
15 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
3 Fatalities / 5 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
3 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
1 |
Total Number of Injured |
5 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Press TV, "Gunmen Kill Three Officers in South Yemen," http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=134753§ionid=351020206 (July 14, 2010). |
BBC Monitoring South Asia, ""Al-Aq'idah Terrorist" Kill Security Officer in Yemen's Abyan," Factiva, BBC Monitoring South Asia, July 14, 2010. |
Agence France Presse, "Three Policemen Killed in "Qaeda" Attacks in South Yemen," Factiva, Agence France Presse, July 14, 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