Incident Summary:
07/21/2010: On Wednesday night at 0420, in Baksan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, a hydroelectric power station was attacked by unidentified militants with small arms. The assailants then detonated four improvised explosive devices (IED). A fifth IED failed to detonate. Two security guards were shot and killed and two people were injured in the attack. Part of the facility was damaged as a fire was triggered on the first and second floors of the power plant. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Two militants allegedly involved in the attack, identified as R. Orshogdugov and R. Seyunov, were killed by security forces on 07/25/2010.
Overview
GTD ID:
201007210002
When:
2010-07-21
Country:
Russia
Region:
Eastern Europe
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Kabardino Balkariya
City:
Baksan
Location Details:
The attack took place at a hydroelectric power station in Baksan.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Utilities |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
A hydroelectric power station was targeted in the attack. |
Nationality of Target |
Russia |
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 |
Other Explosive Type |
Weapon Details |
Unknown firearms and four improvised explosive devices were used in the attack. A fifth improvised explosive device failed to detonate. |
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 at two, and the injuries for this attack from two to three, so the majority casualty figures have been used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. The fifth improvised explosive device failed to detonate. |
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 |
2 Fatalities / 2 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
2 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
2 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Jane’s Intelligence, “Suspected Militants Attack Hydroelectric Power Plant in Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria,” Terrorism Watch Report, July 21, 2010. |
Xinhua News Agency, "Explosions Rock Russian Power Plant, Two Killed by Gunmen," Xinhua News Agency, July 21, 2010, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-07/21/c_13407845.htm. |
Xinhua News Agency, "Suspects in Russian Power Plant Attack Killed," Xinhua News Agency, July 26, 2010, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-07/26/c_13414710.htm. |
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