Incident Summary:
03/28/2011: On Monday morning at 1120, on an unspecified road in El Palo village of Caloto, Cauca, Colombia, military troops from the Army’s 14th Mobile Brigade of the Third Division seized a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), a white Land Cruiser, packed with 25 kilograms of ammonium nitrate (ANFO) planted by the Jacobo Arenas Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Authorities report that the FARC had intended to detonate the VBIED in the central park of Caloto, which would have resulted in many civilian deaths. No casualties or property damage was reported as the car bomb was safely defused. No group has claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing attack.
Overview
GTD ID:
201103280017
When:
2011-03-28
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Cauca
City:
Near Caloto
Location Details:
The attempted bombing attack took place on an unspecified road in El Palo village of Caloto, Cauca, Colombia.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
No |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Civilians at the central park of Caloto |
Nationality of Target |
Colombia |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Vehicle |
Weapon Details |
A vehicle borne improvised explosive device packed with 25 kilograms of ammonium nitrate (ANFO) was used in the attempted bombing attack. |
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 summary of this incident was partially based on articles originally written in Spanish. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
0 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Colombian National Army, "National Army Foils Attempted FARC Terrorist Attack in Cauca," http://www.ejercito.mil.co/?idcategoria=280299 (March 29, 2011). |
Colombian Armed Forces, "Army Foils Attempted FARC Attack in Cauca," El Colombiano, http://www.fac.mil.co/index.php?idcategoria=61580 (March 29, 2011). |
Colombia Reports, Jim Glade, "Military Disable FARC Car Bomb," http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/15198-farc-car-bomb-disabled-by-military.html (March 28, 2011). |
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