Incident Summary:
04/23/2015: Assailants, including suicide bombers, attacked a Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) checkpoint near Jisr al-Shughur city, Idlib governorate, Syria. This was one of four related incidents in the area and one of three checkpoints surrounding Jisr al-Shughur that was targeted on the same day. The attacks lasted until April 25, 2015. At least 73 people, including 30 soldiers and 43 assailants, were killed and an unknown number of others were injured across the three incidents in and around Jisr al-Shughur. In addition, at least 100 people, including government soldiers, militia fighters, and their families, were abducted across all four attacks and their whereabouts are unknown. Al-Nusrah Front, Ahrar al-Sham, and Jund al-Aqsa all claimed responsibility for the incidents.
Overview
GTD ID:
201504240095
When:
2015-04-23
Country:
Syria
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Idlib
City:
Near Jisr al-Shughur
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Military |
Name of Entity |
Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) |
Specific Description |
Checkpoint |
Nationality of Target |
Syria |
Target Type: Terrorists/Non-state Militia |
Name of Entity |
Unknown |
Specific Description |
Members |
Nationality of Target |
Syria |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
25 |
US Hostages |
0 |
Outcome |
Unknown |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Suicide (carried bodily by human being) |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Weapon Details |
Explosives-laden belts and firearms were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | Yes |
Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
Casualty numbers for this incident conflict across sources. Following GTD protocol, the lowest reliable estimates are reported here. Casualty numbers for this incident represent a division of a cumulative total of killed and wounded across incidents 201504240094, 201504240095, 201504240096, 201504250065, 201504250066, and 201504250067. Hostage numbers for this incident represent a division of a cumulative total of hostages across incidents 201504240094, 201504240095, 201504240096, 201504250065, 201504250066, 201504250067, and 201504250079. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Ahrar al-Sham |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Posted to website, blog, etc.) |
Al-Nusrah Front |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Posted to website, blog, etc.) |
Jund al-Aqsa |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Posted to website, blog, etc.) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
24 Fatalities |
Total Number of Fatalities |
24 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
14 |
Total Number of Injured |
Unknown |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
Unknown |
Sources
Sources
"150 Syrian troops besieged in rebel Jisr al-Shughur: monitor," Agence France Presse -- English, April 30, 2015. |
"Reports: Syria goverment loses stronghold in Idlib," Al Jazeera, April 25, 2015. |
"Insurgents seize large parts of Syria's Jisr al-Shughour - monitor," Reuters, April 25, 2015. |
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