Global Terrorism

2004

Below is a chronicle of major acts of terrorism that occurred during 2004

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January

• January 10: A high-powered explosive charge detonated in Lucciana near a public works company and partially destroyed eight prefabricated buildings. The device was placed in the under-floor space in the buildings, which belonged to the Via Corse company. There were no reported injuries

• January 10: An explosive device detonated in a karaoke bar in Palopo, on the island of Sulawesi, killing four people and injuring three others. Authorities believe that the bomb was left under a table and the perpetrator was not among the victims.

• January 14: A car bomb exploded at a Baqubah police station killing a suicide bomber and three Iraqi officials. Approximately fifteen people were injured

• January 15: Luis Alberto Campos, a municipal councilor in Puerto Guzman, was murdered. Campos was dragged from his house and killed by a group who claimed to be from the 32nd Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) front. This is the first politician elected at the local level to be murdered this year.

• January 31: A car bomb outside of a police station in Mosul killed at least nine people, including policemen and civilians, and wounded forty-five.

February

• February 3 North Ossetia: An explosion occurred near the Gamid bank and 100 meters from the market in Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia. The bomb was planted in a car in front of the bank. One Russian military vehicle was damaged in the incident. At least three cars were reportedly burning following the blast. Three people were killed. Ten people, including some Russian interior troops, were wounded. Several sources noted that given the deadly explosion in this market in 1999, suspicion was likely to fall on Chechen rebels. Investigators said that they believed the incident was terrorism and had identified three people suspected of involvement in the attack. Police had located the flat where the suspects supposedly lived and raided it, discovering a number of weapons and ammunition. On February 21, Interfax reported that the Russian Prosecutor General's Office has identified the prime suspect in the attack. His name is Vladimir Khodov and he is a Ukrainian by birth. Police were currently searching for him.

• February 6 Moscow: A blast tore apart a metro train car in Moscow during the morning rush hour. The train was traveling between the Paveletskaya station and the Avtozavodskaya station around 8:40 am. The explosion occurred in the second car of the train, blowing out windows and causing metal pieces of the train to be strewn in all directions. The device had an explosive power of about 4–5 kg of TNT. The device was similar to that used in the commuter train attack in Yessentuki in 2003. Those who survived were forced to walk through the dark tunnel to exit the subway. At least forty people were killed and 122 injured. However, the death toll was expected to rise as many bodies had been torn apart during the explosion and were difficult to identify. Police believe that they have surveillance video of two of the perpetrators. The video shows two suspicious looking people boarding the train with briefcases. In addition to these two people, police had also identified one other suspect, also a woman. The main theory of investigators was that the blast was perpetrated by suicide bombers, probably the two women companions of the man caught on video. However, other theories, including the possibility that the bomb was set on time delay and placed in a briefcase, were also being considered. Police had released a photograph of the male suspect. On February 8, the case was transferred to the FSB, as officials felt that they were unlikely to find the suspect in Moscow. Instead, they were hoping to gain information from other regions. Although Russian officials believe that Chechen rebels were behind the attack, particularly terrorists affiliated with Abu al-Walid al-Ghalidi, Chechen leaders deny involvement. Some officials speculated that the attack had occurred in an attempt to disrupt the upcoming March elections. Putin vowed that this would not happen. There was also some speculation that the was a connection between al-Qaida and this incident. On March 1, several sources reported that a previously unknown terrorist group, known as Gazoton-Murdash (a Chechen group), claimed responsibility for the incident. A statement was received first on February 8, and then several times after that. Kavkaz-Tzentr did not publish the letter until it had been received three times along with a phone call. The leader of the group said that the attack was intended to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the killing of Chechen civilians by Russian soldiers who took control of Groznyy. Chechen authorities were unsure if the group was a valid organization and were attempting to ascertain the true identity of the group leader, Lom-Ali Chechensky, and determine if the claim of responsibility is accurate. On March 4, Izvestiya reported that the statement of Lom-Ali was actually a reaction to the reported killing of Ruslan Gelayev in Dagestan. The source stated that this claim of responsibility was only propaganda, used to deflect attention from the killing of Gelayev and as retaliation for Russian propaganda. On September 28, Officials announced that they believed Anzor Izhayev was responsible for the blast. They believe that he died in the attack. The suspicion was based on genetic tests.

• February 7 Manila: 116 people lost their lives aboard SuperFerry 14 after it was bombed by the Al-Qaeda link Abu Sayyaf group inside Manila Bay on what is considered the worst terror attack on this nations history.

• February 8 Sawaryh: Three people were killed and eight wounded in a bomb attack in the offices of the Iraqi deputy police chief in Sawaryah, 40 miles south of Baghdad. The homemade bomb is believed to have been planted by a night-shift security guard.

• February 9 Darnitsa: Two explosions occurred at the Darnitsa district court of Kiev, injuring eleven people, damaging the façade of the building, and knocking out the windows of nearby buildings. The explosive device was planted inside a toilet on the ground floor of the building and had an explosive power of 1.5 kg of TNT. This incident follows several threats directed at judges who work in the courthouse, which had been received in the days before the explosion. By February 12, eleven suspects had been detained in connection with the incident. Investigators were continuing to look into the incident.

• February 10 Baghdad: A car bomb with approximately 250 kilos of explosives blew up at a police station as dozens of would-be recruits lined up to apply for jobs. An apparent suicide operation, carried out by a driver who detinated his truck as it passed by the station. Fifty-five people were killed and sixty-seven injured. It is unclear if the bomber is part of the mortality count.

• February 12 Kabhre District: Maoist rebels from the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) hurled bombs at a passenger bus killing at least six people. The bus was carrying civilians as well as some soldiers to the Kabhre district.

• February 14 Fallujah: Insurgents launched bold twin assaults on Iraqi security positions in Fallujah, sparking a battle with the police that left twenty-three policemen and four attackers dead and dozens injured. According to local police, about fifteen attackers stormed the police station with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons.

• February 14 Baghdad: One US civilian was killed and three others injured in an ambush attack on their car while traveling on the road between Babil and Baghdad. All four victims were Baptist ministers from the United States.

• February 15 Basra: Masked men jumped out of two vans in Basra and opened fire at a group of sidewalk alcohol venders. Some sources reported that some of the attackers were wearing police uniforms and may have been a part of the Basra police. At least seven people were killed in the attacks and two wounded. Alcohol shops are the frequent target of attacks in Iraq by extremists who feel the sale of alcohol is a violation of strict Islamic law.

• February 18 Tokyo: No one was hurt and no damage was caused by two explosions near the Japanese Ministry of Defense. Police suspect the blasts are linked to Japan's agreement to send troops to Iraq, a decision unpopular with many Japanese residents.

• February 18 Mosoblgaz: Deliberate damage to the gas pipeline in Mosoblgaz caused a gas leak. The crack in the pipe was caused through some sort of mechanical procedure and was believed to have been done intentionally. The gas did not ignite, but operating pressure dropped rapidly. This is the third attack to a gas pipeline in this area in the past week. The Riyad us-Saliheyn Martyrs' Brigade claimed responsibility for this and five other explosive attacks on pipelines and power transmitters.

• February 22 Jerusalem: A suicide bomber killed himself and eight others on a rush hour bus in Jerusalem, underlining the bitter arguments around the opening of an international court of justice on the legality of Israel's separation barrier. The al-Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack and said the bombing was also a reprisal for the Israeli army's killing of fifteen Palestinians in Gaza two weeks earlier.

• February 23 Baghdad: A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-packed vehicle outside an Iraqi police station in a Kurdish neighborhood killing at least ten people and wounding forty-five others. This is the third blast since late January 2004 to target Kurds.

• February 23 Mosul: The Mosul chief of police was attacked at his home by four men with machine guns leading to several guards being wounded and the death of two of the attackers. The chief was not injured. This is the second attack on Mosul's police chief. He was attacked in the same manner more than two months before and sustained serious wounds then.

• February 24 Medellin: A bomb, made of a coffee thermos, was left outside the National Civil Registry Office in Medellin. Police were able to defuse the device and no one was injured. Some reports described the perpetrator as a "militiaman" who pretended to be a coffee vendor before planting the bomb and disappearing.

• February 26 Chechnya: An explosive device went off in a wooded area in the Achkhoy-Martan district of Chechnya. The blast occurred as the residents were returning home by lorry from picking wild leek. Six people were killed and seven others injured in the attack. An investigation had been opened.

March

• March 1 Western Eritrea: Two bombs exploded at the Hashferai Hotel in Western Eritrea, killing three and injuring twelve. No group claimed the attack, although the regime in Asmara cast suspicion on groups supported by Sudan and Ethiopia, among them Eritrean Islamic Jihad, also known as the Islamic Salvation Movement. (EIJ), which is based in Sudan and aims to replace the present Eritrean government with Islamic rule. The site of the attack is just a few miles from the Eritrea-Sudan border.

• March 1 Batticola District: A United National Party candidate for the Batticola District in an upcoming election was gunned down yesterday in the first polls-related killing. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is suspected in the attack; the candidate resisted an earlier warning from the group. Unidentified gunmen had attempted to shoot him Sunday night. A niece and nephew living in the same house were also attacked.

• March 2 Baghdad: A suicide attack occurred at a Shiite holy shrine in Baghdad, killing over sixty-five people and injuring at least 320 others. The attack occurred when three suicide bombers detonated their explosives simultaneously. Authorities are blaming this attack, and another on a Shiite shrine in the city of Karbala, on either groups associated with Al Qaeda or loyalists of Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi. The attacks come on one of the holiest days of the Shiite calendar and targeted Shiite pilgrims. Iraqi leaders, who were preparing to sign a new constitution, declared three days of national mourning and postponed signing the constitution until the mourning period was over.

• March 2 Karbala: At least 106 people were killed and over 233 injured in a suicide attack on the holy Shiite city of Karbala. At least four bombs detonated (some report up to nine bombs) by the Baghdad Gate in the city, where pilgrims had gathered outside the Shrine of Hussain. This attack came on the same day as another Shiite shrine was attacked in Baghdad and on one of the holiest Shiite holidays. Police suspect a group linked to Al Qaeda or loyalists of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi of carrying out the attacks. The perpetrators used a combination of suicide bombs, mortar rounds and planted bombs.

• March 3 Samarra: Unknown gunmen attacked a convoy of Turkish trucks in Samarra. One Turkish driver was killed and two others were wounded in the attack. The perpetrators also completely burned two of the trucks, which belong to the International Highway Transport (TIR) company. The attack was probably perpetrated as a statement against foreigners in the area. Unknown attackers injured two Iraqi policemen when they fired a rocket-propelled grenade at their car in the city of Haijah (120 miles) north of Baghdad.

• March 3 Quetta: At least forty-seven people were killed and 130 injured following an attack on a Shia Muslim parade in Quetta. All of the injured suffered bullet wounds. Two bodies were found that appeared to be those of bombers who had blown themselves up. The Shia were observing Ashoura. The bombs were reportedly from the group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

• March 8 Jerusalem: Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews attacked Arab taxi drivers with rocks in the Me'a Sharim neighborhood of Jerusalem. One driver was wounded and his car was damaged. The second driver was lightly hurt and sent to hospital. 

• March 9 Istanbul: Two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a Masonic lodge in the Kartal neighborhood of Istanbul, killing one person and injuring five others. Only one of the bombers died in the attack, the other was seriously wounded. The attackers began by firing shots with automatic weapons into the Masonic café, they then detonated their bombs at the entrance to the lodge. Witnesses claim that one of the bombers chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) before detonating himself. This leads police to believe that the attackers may have been Islamic militants. There is no belief that this attack is connected to larger al Qaeda attacks in Istanbul in December 2003. By 13 March, authorities had arrested fifteen people in connection with this attack, including two who had received military training in Afghanistan. CNN reports that the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade, the same group that claimed responsibility for the 11 March Madrid train bombings, also claimed responsibility for this incident. At least two of the attackers, Nihat Dogruel (who died in the attack) and Engin Vural (who was injured) had gone to Chechnya to fight after their training in Pakistan/Afghanistan.

• March 9 Hillah: Two US civilian workers and their Iraqi interpreter were shot dead when stopped by individuals disguised in Iraqi police uniforms at a fake checkpoint near Hillah. The perpetrators were later intercepted by Polish troops, who found the victims' bodies in the car.

• March 10 Rawalpindi: Six people were injured when a bomb went off in Rawalpindi. The blast occurred outside of Tasvir Cinema. 

• March 11 Madrid: 191 people were killed and over 600 others were wounded when ten bombs detonated in Madrid on the train line. At least one of these bombs detonated at El Pozo, a small commuter station in Madrid. It is impossible to disaggregate the casualties from any of the blast sites because of poor reporting. The bombs were detonated by cell phones and were left in backpacks. At first the Spanish government blamed the separatist group, the Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA) for the attacks, but later the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade claimed responsibility on behalf of Al Qaeda. By the end of March 2004, authorities had arrested over twenty people in connection with the attack. The suspects hailed from Morocco, Pakistan, Syria and Spain. In their claim of responsibility, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade says that Spain was targeted because of their cooperation with the US in the war in Iraq. In response to the attacks, the ruling Spanish party was defeated in elections mainly because they lied about those attacks(which took place four days after the incident) and the new Prime Minister vowed to remove Spanish troops from combat in Iraq. On 3 April, as the police were closing in on four suspects, including Serjame ben Abdelmajid Fakhet, who they believe was the ringleader in this incident, the suspects blew themselves up in their apartment in Madrid. This blast also killed a police officer. One suspect managed to escape the apartment explosion, as he was taking out the trash at the time of the raid. Abdelmajid Bouchar escaped to Serbia, where he hid out until he was captured in August 2005.

• March 11 Basra: Gunmen killed two Iraqi women working as translators for the British army. The two women, sisters, were driving home in a taxi in Basra when gunmen stopped the vehicle and opened fire on them. 

• March 14 Turhal: Four Nationalist Action Party (MHP) members were injured when their election bus was fired upon by unknown perpetrators in Turhal, in Tokat Province. Authorities recovered twenty-two empty cartridges at the scene of the attack. This attack comes only a week before local elections are set to take place all over Turkey.

• March 14 Ashdod: Ten Israeli civilians and two Palestinians suicide-bombers were killed when they blew themselves up at the southern port of Ashdod. One bomb went off at a citrus fruit packaging factory and the other at an office just outside the perimeter of the port. A cache of grenades was found later hidden in a bag with a false bottom. Hamas and the al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades claimed joint responsibility for the blasts, stating they were in retaliation for recent members deaths in Jenin.

• March 15 South Island: One woman was injured when an explosive device, which had been rigged onto a tricycle and left outside a courthouse, detonated on a southern Philippine island. The attack took place at the same time several Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members were to be arraigned on Jolo Island for various charges. Authorities are blaming this incident on the ASG, though the group has not claimed responsibility.

• March 15 Kirkuk: Unknown attackers assassinated Akkar Nazal al-Someideh, the leader of Kirkuk's Arab community. He was shot dead on his way to work. One of his bodyguards was killed and another seriously wounded.

• March 17 Thessaloniki: A group calling itself the "Committee for Promotion of Intransigence" claimed responsibility for an explosive attack against the Mercedes-Ioannidhis car agency in Thessaloniki. The perpetrators threw three explosive devices, consisting of gas canisters and containers of flammable material outside the shop. The blasts damaged two of the cars parked in the lot. In their claim of responsibility, the group writes, "Early this morning we hit one of the symbols of spectacular misery and consumers' impassive state, the Mercedes agent.

• March 18 Basra: Two people were killed in a car bomb attack targeting a hotel in Basra. Two others were lightly wounded. After the explosion a crowd seized a man who was suspect and beat him to death.

• March 18 Baguba: Three people were killed and ten others were wounded in Baquba when gunmen opened fire on a bus transporting the crew of an Iraqi television station funded by the US-led coalition.

• March 18 Baghdad. Seven people were killed and thirty-five wounded when a powerful car bomb packed with 1,000 pounds of explosives destroyed the Mount Lebanon Hotel, which housing foreigners in Baghdad just days ahead of the anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq. One of the victims killed was a British citizen. No group claimed responsibility, but authorities believe that either Al Qaeda, Ansar al-Islam or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group, Tawid and Jihad, were responsible.

• March 19 Chechnya: Three utility workers were wounded when they were ambushed by Chechen rebels. The workers were employed under contract in the Achkhoi-Martan district to work on restoration of the Chechen power grid. The rebels opened fire using grenade launchers on the cars carrying the utility workers. Two police officers were killed when they arrived at the scene to help the utility workers.

• March 19 Jerusalem: An Israeli student was shot and killed in the French Hill section of east Jerusalem in an attack claimed by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. 

• March 22 Jaffa: Three people were lightly wounded by an Arab youth in a knife attack on a bus in Jaffa. Israeli investigators believe the attack was probably in retaliation to the killing of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. The attacker fled. Earlier three Israelis were attacked and wounded by a Palestinean wielding an axe in Ramat Gan. This was also in retaliation for the assassination of Yassin.

• March 23 Santiago: The Free Fatherland Guerilla Army of the Poor, a group associated with the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR), claimed responsibility for a bomb that exploded in the Brazilian Consulate in Santiago. The bomb, placed in the woman's restroom, was discovered due to a phone tip, but exploded before it could be disabled. The MIR later sent out a communiqué which denounced "the deplorable conditions of imprisonment, as well as the constant arbitrariness of the political and judiciary powers in Brazilian Government and State against the comrades detained over the case of millionaire businessman E. Olivetto." No one was injured in the blast but the restroom was entirely destroyed.

• March 27 Sungai Kolok: An explosive device detonated in a karaoke bar in the town of Sungai Kolok along the Malaysian border, in Narathiwat Province. The blast injured at least twenty-eight people, but caused no deaths. Eight of the injured were Malaysian tourists visiting the area. This is the latest attack in an upswing in violence since January. Authorities have blamed most of these attacks on Muslim separatists.

• March 27 Mosul: Two civilians were killed and nineteen people, including two policemen were wounded when unidentified assailants fired Katyusha rockets at the provincial governor's office in Mosul. Nineveh Governor al-Basso was not there at the time.

• March 30 Bolivia: Eustaquio Picachuri, a miner, detonated a bomb strapped to his body while he was inside the National Congress building. In addition to Picachuri, two security officers were killed and ten people were injured. Reports indicated that Picachuri arrived at the congress building demanding payment for his backed salary. He then detonated the explosives while two security guards tried to reason with him. A spokesman for the miner's said that they had decided to adopt several measures to exert pressure on the government but the Picachuri acted on a person decision.

• March 30 Hillah: A suicide bomber blew up explosives in his car outside the house of a police chief in Hillah killing himself and wounding seven others. This is the same area where another police chief was shot and killed a week before and nine police recruits died when assailants sprayed their minibus with small-arms fire.

April

• April 2 Makhachkala: A explosion occurred on the Mozdok-Qazimammad arterial pipeline near Makhachkala. The explosion was caused by an external explosive device and led to a fire and the disruption of gas supplies to the region. Officials believe that the incident occurred due to an intentional act and may be linked to previous gas line attacks in recent months.

• April 3 Dhading District: An office employee was killed and other injured when a bomb went off at the District Education Office in Dhading district. The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) is responsible for the attack.

• April 6 Nazran-Magas Highway: A suicide bomber blew up his car on the Nazran-Magas Highway in an attempt on the life of Ingushetian President Murat Zyazikiv. The bomber attempted to penetrate the president's motorcade and then exploded the vehicle, damaging the president's armored car. The explosive device was believed to be equivalent to 100 kg of TNT. The president was slightly injured in the attack. Four of his bodyguards and two local residents were also injured and hospitalized. The president blamed the attack on those who wished to destabilize the region. Officials also speculated that the attack may be linked to Chechen separatist groups. Investigators had detained several people that they suspected were involved in the attack. On April 12, Kavkaz-Tsentr News Agency reported that the Islamic Brigade Ryiad us-Salikheen (Black Widows) claimed responsibility for the attack.

• April 8 Kashmir: Militants detonated a bomb that killed nine and injured about fifty others, including two elected officials. The incident occurred at a People's Democratic Party election rally at Uri. Party Chief Mehbooba Mufti was addressing the audience when the explosion took place. The Save Kashmir Movement later claimed responsibility for the blast. 

• April 9 Takbai: An explosive device detonated at the gate of an apartment complex that houses police and customs officials, in Takbai, in Narathiwat province. This attack takes place only hours after the United States, Britain and Australia issued a warning of imminent terrorist attacks in southern Thailand in the lead-up to the new year holiday, Songkran.

• April 9 Bastia Corsica: A high-powered explosive charge detonated at the western entrance to the Montesoro gendarmerie barracks, near Bastia on the island of Corsica. The blast caused material damage to the entrance doorway, windows and a car parked nearby but there were no reported injuries.

• April 12 Jharkhand: Naxalites (Maoists guerillas) triggered a landmine that killed at least twenty-six policemen in Jharkhand. Naxalites of the outlawed People's War Group (PWG) are suspected of being involved in the attack. The PWG typically target rich landowners and police, who they accuse of colluding to exploit farmers and rural laborers.

• April 14 The Taliban executed seven Afghans, including two children and three officials, after they voiced support for President Hamid Karzai. The people were traveling in a vehicle, when they were stopped by five men dressed as government forces. They asked if the travelers if they supported the president of Karzai, and they said yes. The unsuspecting passengers were killed on the spot.

• April 15 Kandahar: A police chief and nine of his boduguards were killed by Taliban fighters as they were traveling through Kandahar's Chinarto district. The general area of the attacks – Zabul – is considered a stronghold of the Taliban. 

• April 17 Erex: The armed wings of Hamas and al Fatah claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb at Erex Crossing on the borders of Gaza and Israel during which four Israelis were wounded.

• April 18 Heart: Three people were killed in an attack on the Herat-Kandahar Highway. Ten, including policemen and custom staff, were killed and four others were injured, when unidentified men opened fire on a security checkpoint in Delaram, on the main highway. Police suspect the Hizbul-i-Islami (Islamic Party) is responsible for the attack.

• April 20 Kashmir: A policeman was killed in Jammu and thirteen wounded in an attack during parliamentary voting. Muslim militants and leftist guerillas warned voters to stay from the polls and threatened violence on election day.

• April 20 Nitzanit, Gaza: Three Israelis were injured by one of a series of Qassam rocket attacks following the assassination of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi. The rocket hit a house in the Nitzanit settlement. This occurred after another settler in Nitzanit was injured when a rocket hit his house. The attacks followed the firing of up to nine rockets in a surge of settlement attacks in Gaza and the Negev. Three of these attacks were later claimed by Islamic Jihad.

• April 21 Riyadh: Five people were killed and 148 injured when a suicide bomber drove an explosives-packed car into a barrier outside the national police headquarters in Riyadh. The attack took place 30 minutes before a scheduled meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Armitage and Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal. Their meeting place is close to police headquarters where the attack occurred. No group claimed responsibility, though authorities believe it may have been perpetrated by Al Qaeda.

• April 21 Baghdad: Suicide attackers detonated five simultaneous car bombs against police buildings during morning rush hour killing sixty-eight people and wounding up to 200 people. Five of the injured died overnight from their wounds bringing the death toll up to seventy-three. These are the largest attacks to hit Basra, a mainly Shite city, since the US-led occupation began one year ago.

• April 25 Kashmir: Suspected Muslim militants threw a grenade at a convoy carrying a state lawmaker as she was leaving a rally in the Anantnaga district. Though People's Democratic Party (PDP) member Mehbooba Mufti was uninjured, though four people were killed and forty-five were wounded in the attack. Radicals have warned people to stay away from the elections and voting.

• April 27 Basra: A statement purporting to be from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a terrorist linked to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for a boat attack on the Basra oil terminal. Three US Navy sailors died as a result of the attack, in which bombers in three boats blew themselves up in and around the terminal.

• April 27 Punjwai District: Four people were killed and six wounded in a suspected Taliban attack. A group of seventy people allegedly attacked the Punjwai district building, burned down the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid agency (a charity organization) – killing four there – and also burned three vehicles. Police guarding the building became involved in the skirmish.

• April 28 Kashmir: In Bungam, ten people were injured, including two police officers and eight civilians, when an unidentified person threw a hand grenade at a local representative's convoy. This attack comes only a week before parliamentary elections are set to begin in Kashmir. Suspected Muslim militants threw a hand grenade at a crowd during a candidate's political address, killing three civilians and wounding forty-nine others. The candidate from the National Conference Party was unhurt. This attack comes only a week before nation-wide parliamentary elections are due to take place.

• April 30 Gaza Strip: A Hamas suicide car bomber struck an Israelis army patrol, injuring all 4 Israelis soldiers. The attack was filmed by Hamas, the bombers original target was a bus full of Jewish settlers, but the bus slipped away as it was suspicious of the vehicle, the bomber missed it, so instinctively went for the next available target.

May

• May 1 Savannahkey Province: One person was killed and three others injured when an explosive device detonated near a bus stop in the Khantaboury district of Savannahkey Province. The attack wasn't reported for nearly two weeks in order to avoid undermining "national security" 

• May 2 Yanbu: Four assailants fired against the personnel of a Saudi contractor in Yanbu. Two Americans, two Britons, an Italian and an Australian were killed and nineteen Saudi police officers were injured. The security forces returned fire killing three with the last attacker dying of his wounds later.

• May 2 Bogota: Two bombs exploded near the Social Protection Ministry in Bogotá late Sunday evening. Eleven civilians and six police were injured in the attack although only two were seriously hurt. Some reports indicate that an initial small explosion was followed by a large explosion and that the second explosion was aimed at those who responded to the first blast. The second blast caused all of the injuries and some material damage to the Ministry as well as other buildings nearby. Army officials believe that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are responsible and that the attack was meant to mark the 40th anniversary of the organization.

• May 2 Baghdad: Two former Fiji soldiers who work for Global Risk Strategies LTD as security contractors in Iraq were killed and two other injured when gunmen attacked their convoy in Mosul. The injured Fijians were identified as Isaia Nainoca Mate and Sailopa Kaumaitotya and the killed Fijians were identified an Emori Vunibokoi and Kelepi Qaranivalu. An American soldier was also killed and three other foreigners of unidentified nationalist injured in the attack. Foreigners who work as private contractors in Iraq are the frequent target of insurgent attacks. 

• May 3 Gwadar: Three Chinese engineers were killed when a car bomb exploded in the town of Gwadar, 700 kilometers west of Quetta, capital of Baluchistan. The bombing comes just days before a regional investment conference was to be opened by Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali. The Chinese were helping to build a major seaport in southwest Pakistan, and were financing $199 million for the project. Police say that nationalists protesting discrimination against locals in employment were likely behind the blast.

• May 5 Athens: Three explosive devices detonated in succession at a police station in the Kalithea neighborhood of Athens. The blasts caused major damage to the station but there were no reported injuries. An anonymous caller tipped authorities off to the location of the devices, and the area was cordoned off before the blasts took place. The attack comes 100 days before the start of the Olympics. On 13 May, the Revolutionary Struggle claimed responsibility for this attack. In their statement, the group writes, "with regard to the Olympic Games, we say that Greece's transformation into a fortress, NATO's involvement, the presence and activities of foreign intelligence units show clearly that (the Olympics) are not a festival like Games organizers say, but it’s a war."

• May 7 Karachi: Twenty-four people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque on the premises of Sindh Madressatul Islam. The blast also severely damaged the old mosque (built in 1894), just before the Zohrain prayers. There were over 100 worshippers in the mosque at the time of the blast. Over 100 were wounded.

• May 8 Baquba: Attackers set off a bomb outside the house of a police official killing three members of his family and wounding three others in Habhab, 12 miles north of Baquba.

• May 9 Kashmir: One person was killed and twenty-one injured, when terrorists lobbed a grenade outside of the premises of the district hospital in Doda. The grenade was most likely aimed at a government convoy passing the hospital at the time. The victim killed was a government official and four of the injured included police officers. Police supsect the Hizbul Mujahideen is behind the attack because the group is most active in the area.   

• May 9 Grozny: Chechnya.A bomb exploded in the Dynamo stadium in the Chechen capital, Groznyy, killing the republic's president Akhmad Kadyrov. Kadyrov was elected last fall in what was considered by many to be a fraudulent vote. The explosion was caused by a bomb planted inside a concrete pillar and occurred at 10:35am during a parade and concert in Groznyy celebrating the 59th anniversary of the victory of Germany in World War 2. The blast tore a hole in the section designate for dignitaries. It was not clear if the explosion was specifically targeting Kadyrov or whether it would have occurred regardless of his presence, as he was not officially scheduled to be at this event. Khussein Isayev, chairman of the Republic's state council, and Adlan Khasanov, a reported for Reuters, were also killed in the blast. Col. Gen. Valery Baranov, the commander of the Russian military in the northern Caucasus was gravely wounded. Although estimates of total casualties varied, at least ten people were killed and around fifty more injured. These numbers include many civilians and WW2 veterans who were also attending the celebrations. Officials believe that the blast was detonated by remote control and was intentionally installed below the VIP section. The bomb may have been planted some time ago during the recent renovations to the stadium. Preliminary reports suggest that the bomb was equivalent to one ton of TNT. The location of the bomb made it impossible for existing equipment to detect. The type of explosive appeared identical to the type used to blow up the military parade two years ago in the Dagestani city of Kaspiysk. Rescue workers prevented two other blasts in the stadium. They were able to defuse another landmine and an additional explosive device equipped with a timer set to go off 30 minutes after the first explosion. On May 12, another explosive device was found in the half-ruined Dynamo Stadium. The device consisted of TNT charges and pieces of metal. It was unclear if the device had been planted recently or a long time ago. Rebel leader Shamil Basayev claimed that he was involved in and had organized the blast. The attack may have been intended to sow panic and disorder among the Chechen leadership. Initial investigations were focusing on the security staff at the stadium and the builders who took part in the renovations of the stadium. Investigators believe that insufficient training and organization of the security staff was faulted for allowing the attack to occur. Officials had detained at least five individuals for potential involvement in the attack, including Ibragim Musayev, who was also involved in the hostage-taking raid of the Dubrovka Theatre and the bomb attack near a McDonald's in Moscow. Investigators had also given a more specific list of suspects who were under investigation to the Russian Duma. The Russian appointed Prime Minister, Sergei Abramov will serve as President until new elections are held sometime before September, as stipulated by the republic's constitution. The attack serves a blow to Putin and his strategy for ending the conflict in Chechnya. On August 5, Interfax reported that three suspects had been arrested in connection with the attack, two of whom had already confessed to the crime. The third man was arrested later than the other two and was providing investigators with useful information. 

• May 9 Kashmir: Two attacks in Baghdad injured 10 people.

• May 12 Jolo Island: A teenaged girl was killed and at least fourteen others were injured when a large explosive device detonated in Sulu Province, on Jolo island. Authorities believe the target of the blast was Hussin Amin, an incumbent Sulu first district congressman. The bomb detonated in front of Amin's house, which is also being used for the congressman's headquarters, only moments before an armored personnel carrier passed by. Authorities are blaming the attack on the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), though there has been no claim of responsibility.

• May 13 Narathiwat Province: A powerful explosive device, which contained Power Gel, detonated in a single-story building in Narathiwat Province. This building was being used for a market, but was closed at the time of the blast. The market is part of the government's One Tambon, One Product (OTOP) program. Authorities are blaming local groups who seek to destabilize the government or religious separatists. 

• May 14 Sajha: A bomb explosion on a passenger bus killed one and injured more than a dozen others. The bus was parked at Sajha station in front of Royal Nepal Airlines office. Authorities are blaming "anti-government insurgents" of carrying out the attack.     

• May 17 Baghdad: A suicide car bombing near an entrance to the coalition headquarters in Baghdad killed the head of the Iraqi Governing Council, Ezzadin Salim, and six other civilians. Salim was killed while waiting in a convoy at a checkpoint leading to the Green Zone. Salim is the second member of the US-appointed council to be assassinated. The bomb wounded five other civilians and two US soldiers. Sami Muhammad Ali Said Jaaf, a lieutenant of Abu Musab Zarqawi, was taken into custody in mid-January 2005. Jaaf admitted to being involved in over thirty-two bombings in Iraq, including this one.

• May 20 Kabul: A newly-laid roadside bomb exploded injuring a policeman and three civilians employed by the Central Statistics Office. Remnants of the Taliban have threatened to disrupt preparations for September parliamentary elections.

• May 21 Kashmir: A bicycle bomb that was detonated at the Chadoura bridge killed three people and injured twenty-four. The bomb had been planted by suspected militants on a bicycle parked 20 feet from a border security pillbox. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but authorities are blaming Hizbul-Mujahedin.

• May 21 Bangladesh: A powerful bomb at the shrine of 14th century saint Hazrat Shahjalal killed three and injured over 100. Authorities believe that the attack was aimed at the newly appointed British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, who was also critically injured in the blast.

• May 22 Bogota: A bomb exploded in a crowded tavern/discothèque at 11:00 pm Saturday night killing six (some reports indicate seven) and wounding eighty-two. The bomb was packed in a small suitcase and left in the bathroom by suspected Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels. It is believed the bombing is part of a FARC campaign marking the organizations 40th anniversary.

• May 22 Baghdad: Another senior Iraqi official was the target of a suicide car bomb which killed at least five people and wounded Abdul-Jabar Youssef al-Sheikhli, deputy interior minister at his home in Baghdad. Sheikhli was a member of the Shiite Dawa Party. Four Iraqi policemen and a bystander were killed and twelve other people aside from al-Sheikhli were wounded. This attack comes five days after Ezzedine Salim, the president of the Iraqi Governing Council, was killed by a suicide bomber. He was also a member of the Dawa Party. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group, Tawhid and Jihad later claimed responsibility for this attack.

• May 23 Baghdad: A car bomb exploded near the armored car of several British private security contractors just outside the entrance to the Green Zone and US coalition headquarters in Baghdad. The attack led to the death of two of the British contractors and the injury of one other. Private security contractors in Iraq who work with coalition forces are the frequent target of insurgent attack.

• May 25 Karachi: A bomb exploded at a Karachi port, killing two and injuring two others. The blast occurred less the 24 hours before an explosion rocked the area near the US Consul General's residence.

• May 26 Karachi: Two bombs exploded near the U.S. Consul General's residence in Karachi. Suspects riding on a motorcycle are believed to have driven by and stuck an item on to one of two cars which later exploded. The bombs went off in 15-minute intervals. The group Harkat ul Mujahedin is believed to have been involved. Two security men who were supposed to be manning their posts on the usually well-guarded street were absent during the attacks. They were arrested for failing to uphold their duties and are being questioned by the police. 

• May 26 Baghdad: Gunmen in Baghdad opened-fire on a bus carrying Russian employees of the energy firm Interenergoservice, killing two Russian electrical specialists and injuring five others. Following the attack the firm decided to pull all of its employees out of Iraq. The killed employees were identified as Vyacheslav Ovsyannikov, and Victor Dynkin, while those injured includes Chubashev, Korenkob, Chernetsky, Derbilov, and Trifonov (last names). One of the employees later died of his wounds. Contractors who work in Iraq on reconstruction projects are the frequent target of insurgent attack.

• May 27 Annapur: Maoists, believed members of the Communist Party of Nepal Maoists (CPN-M) killed a newspaper delivery driver who defied the latest guerilla anti-government strike. A homemade bomb was thrown at the driver who was delivering the Annapur Post. Two other passengers were injured. The CPN-M had demanded that all traffic stay off the roads in the western Himalayan kingdom as a series of strikes leading up to a three-day nationwide shutdown were taking place.

• May 30 Riyadh: A shooting rampage and hostage standoff in Saudi's oil industry hub killed twenty-two people, mostly foreigners. This was the worst terror attack on Saudi soil in a year and the second targeting the oil industry in a month. In the early morning, four militants wearing military-style clothing stormed the oil industry office compounds spraying gunfire and killing thirteen people. The militants then moved up the street to Oasis Residential Resort. According to the Saudi Interior Ministry, the militants first tried to ram the gate with an explosives-rigged car but when that failed they scaled the wall. They then proceeded to sort out Muslims from non-Muslims and coralled at least fifty hostages in a hotel. Nine hostages were killed and forty-one resuced by Saudi commandos. Only one of the attackers was captured. Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attack.

• May 30 Baghdad: Gunmen opened fire on a convoy of SUVs carrying British security contractors traveling towards Baghdad airport, killing two Iraqis and wounding five others, including several civilians. The man killed was an Iraqi driver, either a contractor or an employee of the Coalition Provision Authority who worked in support of US troops. None of the British members of the convoy were injured in the attack. Several of the convoy members who survived the attack hijacked a passing car to escape. Contractors and those who work with US forces are the frequent target of insurgent attack in Iraq.

• May 31 Karachi: A bomb blast exploded at the Ali Raza Shia mosque killing twenty-one people, and injuring about fifty others. There were about fifty people inside the mosque when the bomb went off. AP reported that the group responsible for this attack was the Lashkar-e-Jhangui.

June

• June 1 Baghdad: A suicide car bomb attack at a checkpoint near a US army base in Baiji, 200 km north of Baghdad, killed eleven Iraqis. Eighteen others were seriously wounded in the attack, including fourteen members of the Iraqi civil defense force

• June 1 Baghdad: At least twenty-five people were killed and several others injured as a result of a car bomb in front of the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in the al-Ilwiyah district of Baghdad. This attack came as the PUK offices were busy preparing for the 29th anniversary of the founding of their party.

• June 1 Eastern Afghanistan: A high-ranking Afghan police official was killed when a bomb placed under his chair exploded in his office in eastern Afghanistan. Remnants of the Taliban still populate neighboring provinces.

• June 2 Eastern Afghanistan: Five NGO workers were killed when their car was ambushed in the Khair Khana District. Of the workers, one was from Belgium, one from the Netherlands, one from Norway, and two were Afghans. The workers represented at least two NGO's: Doctors Without Borders and Norwegian Church Aid. The Taliban is said to have called, and claimed responsibility.

• June 3 Kabul. A parcel bomb exploded in a security command office injuring seven people. The bomb detonated when one of the staff was attempting to open a package, which was addressed to Mohammed Omar, security commander. He was not in the office at the time, and instructed his staff to open the package for him.

• June 3 Baghdad: Several mortar shells were fired at the Italian Embassy in Baghdad. No Italians were injured in the attack, however, one Iraqi was killed and three were wounded.

• June 4 Samara: An explosion occurred in the central market of Samara. A one kilogram plastic explosive device, detonated by a hand lit fuse, went off near a railway track and behind the traders' containers. Officials speculate that the track may have been the (or an additional) intended target. At least eleven people were killed and seventy-one injured in the incident. On June 10, five Chechens were detained for their suspected involvement in the attack. Police seized huge amounts of ammunition, firearms, and explosives from the suspects during their arrest. Chechen residents of Samara complained that many of the detentions were without cause and sent a letter to President Putin demanding that illegal activity be stopped. Although terrorism remained the most prominent theory, there was speculation that the blast may have been the result of fighting among businesses located in the market. On 10 June 2004, Chechen separatists from Kazakhstan were arrested in connection with this incident.

• June 5 Mussayab: Eight people stormed into a police station in Mussayab, opened fire and killed seven officers before planting explosives to destroy the building. Several polciemen were injured in the attack as well. The assailants wore police uniforms.

• June 5 Baghdad: Four employees (two Americans and two Poles) of the US company Blackwater were killed and two others injured in a road attack in Baghdad. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group, Tawhid and Jihad, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

• June 6 Northern Ireland: A pipe bomb exploded at a house on Beechwood Avenue, in Bangor. There were no reported injuries. Witnesses saw two youths running from the scene slightly prior to the blast. The window, steps and front door of the home were damaged by the explosion.

• June 6 Baghdad: Gunmen opened-fire on a civilian convoy carrying British security contractors who work for the London-based firm Armor Group. The attack occurred in Mosul. One British security contractor, Craig Dickens, was killed in the attack, and three other injured. Security contractors in Iraq are the frequent target of insurgent attacks.

• June 7 Niazyo: Two students were killed when grenades were thrown at their school. The Niazyo school is a religious institution.

• June 8 Assam: Twenty-three were injured when suspected United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants threw a grenade into a crowded cinema hall during a town screening of a Hindi movie. The police say that the attacks may be connected to a ULFA call for the banning of Hindi movies last year. The group opposes the state film industry and is believed to have been responsible for explosions at other cinemas in Assam.

• June 8 Mosul: A taxi carrying three suicide bombers exploded near the mayor of Mosul's office. Nine Iraqis were killed and twenty-five were wounded. This bombing repeats a pattern established over the last year whereby suicide attacks are most frequent when the general insurgency is not active in Iraq.

• June 8 Bologna: An explosive device, made of a bottle full of inflammable liquid, a detonator and a timer, detonated at a political rally in Bologna, which featured National Alliance party leader Gianfranco Fini. The device exploded in the middle of Fini's speech, injuring six people, but causing no major damage. The bomb had been hidden inside an election vehicle on the side of the stage and only the detonator managed to explode. Authorities believe that anarchists might be behind the attack.

• June 8 Pattani Province: Thawee Nooyom, a teacher at a technical college in Pattani Province, was stabbed and critically injured by suspected Muslim separatists. This is the fourth attack on Buddhist civilians in the past two days and authorities are concerned that sectarian violence is on the rise. Nooyom was mobbed by three unknown perpetrators as he left his apartment on the school's campus. He was stabbed several times and taken to the hospital.

• June 10 Konduz: Eleven Chinese construction workers were slain in Konduz when unidentified gunmen broke into their quarters and shot them as they slept. Two Afghan police guarding the site were also killed. Four Chinese nationals survived and were treated for gunshot wounds. Though Taliban members immediately denied involvement in the attack, Afghan authorities believed that the Taliban and Hizbul-i-Islami were involved in the attack. Two of ten men that were arrested were affiliated with the groups. In October 2004, four men were convicted of perpetrating this attack, but still no group claimed official responsibility.

• June 10 Northern Ireland: About fifty petrol bombs were thrown at police officers in Derry as they escorted electoral officers and ballot boxes from various polling stations. The perpetrators were described as a group of youths, some even children. One man was hit with a device and taken away in an ambulance.

• June 12 Najaf: Three people were killed and seven others were wounded when insurgents clashed with Iraqi police in a failed attempt to control the Ghiri police station in Najaf.

• June 12 Kashmir: A Pahalgam hotel was the target of a grenade attack, which killed four people, including two tourists. The grenade triggered the explosion of a gas canister in the hotel's restaurant, which made the explosion more deadly. Al-Nasireen has claimed responsibility for the attack. In their claim of responsibility the group states that they hope to discourage "obscenity and nudity being imported into the land of Islam's martyrs."

• June 13 Baghdad: A suicide car bomber killed up to twelve Iraqis, including four policemen, in Baghdad. Police at the scene say they had tried to stop the suspicious vehicle as it hurtled towards an Iraqi military college. thirteen people were wounded as well.

• June 13 Kirkuk: One Iraqi civilian was killed and eight Iraqis were wounded, including seven policemen, when unknown assailants attacked two police patrols in Kirkuk.

• June 14 Baghdad: A car bomb tore through a convoy carrying contractors in Baghdad killing eight Iraqis and three GE employees and two bodyguards- the foreignors included two Britons, one Frenchmen, one American and a Filipino. The blast destroyed eight vehicles and nearby buildings into rubble. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group, Tawhid and Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

• June 15 La Gabarra: Presumed Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerillas killed thirty-four farm workers in La Gabarra. Reports indicate that the workers were coca growers which lead to different ideas about the motivation on the massacre. Some believe that it was caused by an ongoing battle between different armed groups over the control of coca productions and thus economic interests. Others speculate that the attack was a destabilizing act aimed at provoking an AUC reaction and thus sabotaging the peace process.

• June 16 Kirkuk: Northern Oil Company security chief Ghazi Talabani was killed in an ambush as he traveled to work. Three gunmen shot at Talabani's car after his bodyguard left the vehicle in a crowded market. The bodyguard was also wounded. Talabani was the cousin of Jalal Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. He is the third official to be killed in Iraq in recent days.

• June 16 Ramadi: A car bomb exploded near an Iraqi police car and a civilian vehicle carrying several foreigners in Ramadi. Five Iraqi police officers and four foreigners (no nationality given) were killed and ten people, including foreigners, injured in the attack. Foreigners in Iraq are the target of frequent insurgent attack, as they are often suspected of being involved in the US occupation. Police and security officers are also the frequent target of attack.

• June 17 Baghdad: A sport utility vehicle packed with artillery shells blew up in a crowd of people waiting to volunteer for the Iraqi military in Baghdad killing at least thirty-five people and wounding 138. The attack was the deadliest since the same recruitment center was bombed in February. Iraq's interior ministerstated that he believes al-Qaeda linked Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was responsible.

• June 17 Baghdad: Two Iraqis were killed by a car bomb attack on an electric utility station south of Baghdad. The power plant came under mortar fire before a vehicle exploded at the entrance. Five employees were injured. It marked the fourth attack on the utility in the past three weeks.

• June 19 Assam: A time bomb planted by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) exploded, injuring fourteen people, most of whom were day wage-earners. No further information is provided.

• June 21 Bangladesh: At least seventy people were injured when a bomb exploded at an Awami League rally in northeastern Bangladesh. The bomb was placed underneath the platform where lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta spoke.

• June 23 Bijbehara: Nineteen people were injured when a grenade was hurled at a security picket at Bijbehara. The grenade missed its target and caused the large number of injuries.

• June 24 North-West Frontier Province Pakistan: Unidentified assailants attacked a Pakistani police station in northwest Pakistan using rockets and grenades. Seven people were injured in the attack. Authorities believe that the attacks could be in retaliation for Pakistani operations in Waziristan geared towards stemming Al-Qaeda activity.

• June 24 Istanbul: An explosive device detonated aboard a passenger bus in Istanbul, killing four people, including the bomber and injuring at least fifteen others. The blast occurred when the bus had traveled into a residential neighborhood, near a university. Police identified the bomber as Semiran Polat, a woman from the mainly Kurdish province of Tunceli. Police believe that this device was not intended to have detonated on the bus but that Polat was transporting it to another unknown target. This attack comes a few days before US President Bush is scheduled to visit the city to attend a NATO summit. It also comes only a few hours after another device detonated at a hotel in Ankara, injuring two people. The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) claimed responsibility for the mistaken attack, stating that "on 24 June, uninvolved people have lost their lives together with our comrade Semiran Polat, when a bomb exploded by mistake in a bus in the Istanbul quarter Capa. The bomb that was carried with our comrade should have been used for a retaliation action in the purchase of the massacre against her comrades in prison."

• June 24 Assam: Five passengers on a minibus were killed when United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants triggered a time bomb. Fifteen others were injured in the blast.

• June 24 Pakita Province Afghanistan: Four United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) staff were killed in Paktia Province, after a remote-detonated bomb exploded as their vehicle was traveling along a road. The workers were involved in voter registration. A group opposed to the US and Afghan government called, Jaish-ul-Muslimin claimed responsibility for the attack in a fax sent to a Peshawar news agency. It is one of many occurring as the elections approach.

• June 25 Kashmir: Militants shot and killed a dozen people when they opened fire at residential houses. Most of the victims were family members of the local village defense committee. Rebels have targeted security forces and their families in the past. Twelve people were also injured in the attack

• June 26 Baquba: Attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades at the offices of the leading Shiite political group, the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, in Baqubah killing three party members and injuring two.

• June 26 Kabul: A bomb exploded inside of a bus carrying UN Afghan female election workers to voter registration sites. It is the first violence associated with the upcoming parliamentary elections since their announcement. The Taliban have threatened to disrupt activities supporting the September elections.

• June 27 Hilah: Explosions rocked the center of the predominantly Shiite Muslim city of Hilah, killing forty people and injuring twenty-two. The blasts occurred near the former Saddam Hussein mosque, and may have been caused by a pair of car bombs.

• June 27 Chechnya, Groznyy: Three local residents were injured and one killed when a mine exploded near a roadside café in Groznyy. Police were investigating the incident.

• June 28 Galeria: An explosive charge detonated at a restaurant in Galeria, in Haute-Corse department, on the island of Corsica. The blast caused serious damage to the building, but there were no reported injuries.

• June 28 Sederot: Two Israelis were killed and about fifteen others were injured when two home-made Qassam rockets landed on Sederot. Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack.

• June 29 Sederot: A Palestininan rocket attack near a kindergarten in Sederot killed a child and a man. More than ten people were injured. Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack.

• June 30 Kandahar: A bomb planted at a security post near a bus station and one placed at a security post on a main road, killed one man and injured twenty-seven others. The two bombs went off shortly after 1:00 pm, both were hidden in fruit carts. Authorities blame anti-government militias of carrying out the attack.

July

• July 2 Van: A remote-detonated explosive device exploded in Blue Plaza on Ordu Boulevard in Van as Hikmet Tan, the governor of Van was passing through with his convoy. Five people were killed and twenty-four other injured by the blast. Hikmet was uninjured by the bomb. A Kurdish organization calling itself the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) claimed responsibility for this assassination attempt. In their claim of responsibility, the group writes, "we will speak in a language that the Turkish state will understand and we will develop our revolutionary resistance struggle in a more radical manner in the face of the unjust and ugly policy that is currently being pursued by the Turkish state."

• July 2 Kashmir: Six police personnel were killed and five injured when militants detonated an improvised explosive device as a convoy was passing by. The convoy was escorting a member of Parliament.

• July 2 Pokhara: Members of the Communists Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) shot the mayor of Pokhara, a major tourist town. Mayor Harkha Gurung was driving through a crowded market place on his way to work, when a pedestrian stopped to shake his hand. When the mayor stopped to talk to the person, they shot him in the face at close range. Two other Maoists rush forward and also opened fire, on the mayor who received five bullet wounds to the head and chest. The mayor's driver was injured in the attack.

• July 4 Kashmir: Two people were killed and thirty-nine injured when a bomb went off near a tourist reception center. The device was placed in a hand cart. No further information is available.

• July 6 Khalis: Fourteen people were killed and at least thirty-seven others injured by a deadly suicide car bombing in Khalis. The attack took place as hundreds of local officials were mourning the death of two relatives of an official that was killed in an attack by insurgents the day before. The car drove up to within yards of the tent where the wake was taking place, and detonated. The Ansar al-Sunnah militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, warning that other "infidels" would "experience the same fate if they don't repent."

• July 8 Afghanistan: The Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on Afghan election workers who are preparing for the upcoming election. One woman working for the UN was killed when her vehicle hit a landmine.

• July 8 Jaffna: A female Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber killed four policemen during an attempt to assassinate Eelam People's Democratic Party member Douglas Devananda. The incident occurred at a police station, as the bomber was detected officers. When she refused a body search by two women officers, four policemen were killed when the bomber subsequently exploded. This is the tenth attempt on the minister's life. Sathyaseelan Selvakumar of Jaffna, the woman accomplice of the LTTE suicide bomber is being called for a 17 November court date. This woman is suspected of having access to Minister Devananda's office (target). The four police personnel who were killed in the bombing were Inspector M.H.D. Ekanayake, Sergeant Artygala, and Reserve Police Constables Liyanage and Chandra Jayantha. The woman suicide bomber was also assigned to assassinate Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) Leader Douglas Devananda. The bomber and accomplice both had forged national Identity cards.

• July 9 Baghdad: One child was killed and three people were injured when three mortar shells were fired on the al-Sadeer Hotel, but instead landed at a private home. Two of the mortars hit the home and the third hit a nearby road. The attack was targeting the hotel in Baghdad, where many foreigners stay.

• July 11 Charsuq: Dozens were injured when a bomb exploded in Charsuq. The bomb was placed in a waste bin outside a security base. Those killed were mostly shopkeepers.

• July 11 Tel Aviv: An explosive device, packed with ball bearings and bolts, detonated in the bushes behind a bus stop in Tel Aviv, killing one person and injuring thirty-two others. The blast took place as a bus was pulling into the stop, and damaged the bus and a nearby apartment building. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, an al-Fatah linked group, claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities speculate that the blast was a response to the ruling by the International Criminal Court that the Israeli security fence is illegal and should be dismantled. Note: The US government reports that this blast was caused by a suicide bomber.

• July 14 Avtury: A bomb blast killed one person and injured three more in the village of Avtury just 30 kilometers southeast of Grozny.

• July 14 Baghdad: A massive suicide attack killed at least ten people and wounded at least forty others, including one US soldier. The bomber drove a car bomb near a checkpoint in Baghdad, next to the British Embassy and the headquarters of the Iraqi interim government, before blowing himself up. The car was packed with more than 1,000 pounds of explosives, the largest bomb seen in the city since the US handed over power to Iraq on 28 June. Many of the casualties were Iraqis who were lined up to apply for jobs from the new interim government. Iraq's Prime Minister said that the attack was in retaliation for the government's recent arrest of over 500 suspected terrorists.

• July 14 Mosul: Ussama Kachmula, the governor of Mosul was shot and killed by four armed militants. Kachmula and two of his bodyguards were killed by the gunmen. During the attack, guards were able to fire back at the gunmen, killing all four of them. The attack took place in the T'lul al-Baj region, about seventy miles south of Baghdad. After the assassination a curfew was imposed on the city of Mosul for a day of mourning.

• July 15 Haditha: A large car bomb detonated in Haditha, in front of a police station and government buildings. Ten people were killed and twenty-seven other injured by the blast, which authorities believe was targeting the main police station in the city. Haditha is a former strong-hold of Saddam Hussein and his followers. Police and security officers have been targeted all over the country and accused of being collaborators with US forces.

• July 15 Thiland: Two security officers, Mahazae Majeh and Boonyieng Boonperm, were killed by unknown gunmen on a motorbike. The two victims were both linked to the government's counter-insurgency unit. This is the most recent attack in southern Thailand since unrest began in January. Militants have been targeting school teachers, officials and police in the last six month, killing over 200 people.

• July 16 Assam: United Liberation Forces of Assam (ULFA) militants lobbed a hand grenade at a police patrol in front of a civilian hospital, injuring seven people. Three of the injured were police officers.

• July 18 Palu: A female priest was killed and four others injured when unknown gunmen entered the Effata church in Palu, and opened fire after the end of a sermon. The victim, Reverend Susianti Tinulele was just finishing her sermon when the gunmen entered and started spraying the premises with bullets. This attack took place near the town of Poso, where some of the worst religious violence has occurred in the last five years.

• July 18 Tikrit: A car bomb exploded near a police station in Tikrit, killing two officers and injuring two others. This was one of two explosive attacks on police in Tikrit within hours of each other.

• July 18 Raman: A group of four unknown attackers shot and killed three people in Raman, Yala Province. The three victims included two police officers and a railway official from the Ban Maikaen railway station. A fourth man, also a police officer, was injured in the attack. Authorities believe that the attack was perpetrated to protest police searches of houses belonging to religious leaders in the area.

• July 19 Baghdad: Nine people were killed and at least sixty others injured when a large fuel tanker, rigged as a car bomb, exploded as it drove toward a police station in Baghdad. The suicide blast tore a ten meter crater in the group and damaged buildings in surrounding blocks. The incident took place in the morning as police officers were lining up to receive their daily assignments in the Seidiyeh neighborhood in Baghdad. Militants have increased attacks on police in recent weeks in order to destabilize the interim Iraqi government and to punish collaborators with the US-led coalition.

• July 19 Voronezh: An explosion occurred at a public transport stop in the center of Voronezh. Two people were reported dead and five wounded. The bus stop is near the city's Genetics Institute. The bomb was hidden in the trash bin near the bus stop. Its power was equivalent to 200-500g of TNT. The bus was damaged. This incident was similar to a February 19 explosion at the same bus stop. Although officials suspended the investigation into this incident, they decided to reopen it and believe that the two attacks may have been carried out by the same person.

• July 20 Kashmir: Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma escaped a second attempt on his life when militants threw a bomb at his public meeting in Anantnag. Five people were killed and around fifty other injured in the attack.

• July 23 Chechnya: A bomb was detonated near a marketplace and a mosque in the Zavodsky district of Groznyy. One person when killed and three injured was the roadside bomb exploded. Police believe the incident was an attempt to destabilize the region in the lead up to the presidential elections.

• July 25 Neve Dekalim: children were injured when an anti-tank rocket was fired at a community center in Neve Dekalim. The rocket was fired from Khan Yunis and came as thousands of people were gathered at the center to protest against the Gaza disengagement plan. The children were playing in the yard outside of the center when the rocket struck. The Al-Qassam Brigades, a Hamas-linked militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

• July 26 Kashmir: One person was killed and thirty-five injured when militants hurled a hand grenade inside of a hospital in Baramula. The injured were those who were hospitalized. The perpetrators probably attacked the hospital because a number of Border Security Forces had been admitted for earlier injuries.

• July 26 Genc: Unknown gunmen fired on a gendarmerie convoy that was on duty in Genc, in Bingol Province. One village guard and one soldier were killed and six other guards were injured in the attack. No further information is provided.

• July 28 Ghanzi Province: A bomb exploded at a mosque in Ghanzi Province where voter registration was taking place, killing six people. Two of the individuals were workers with the Joint Electoral Management Body of the UN. Seven other voter registration workers were injured in the attack.

• July 28 Baqouba: At least seventy people were killed and another fifty-six injured in a large suicide bombing attack in the city of Baqouba. The attack took place in the middle of the downtown part of the city, where hundreds were lined up to join the Iraqi police force. The blast wrecked nearby shops and burned vehicles. This was the deadliest attack since the US turnover of power on 28 June and also came only three days before a national conference to create an interim assembly. Authorities blame a group loyal to Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi of carrying out this attack.

• July 29 Bharatpur: About a dozen people were injured when a pressure cooker bomb was detonated in the office building of ward one of Bharatpur municipality in Chitawan district. There were twelve people participating in a seminar when the blast occurred. Authorities are blaming the device on anti-government guerrillas.

• July 30 Jaffar: Eight people were killed when the prime minister designate's motorcade was attacked in the village of Jaffar. Dozens were injured in the incident, though two other officials – Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and District Nazim (ret) Major Tahir Sadiq Khan – survived the attack. Shaukat Aziz, the apparent target, is a Pakistan Muslim League candidate and was in Jaffar to attend a public meeting. As his driver opened the door of his car, a suicide bomber threw himself at the vehicle causing the blast. The group, Al-Islambouli Brigades of Al Qaeda, a Qaeda-affiliated group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

August

• August 1 Baghdad and Mosul: Six bombs blew up churches in Baghdad and Mosul, killing at least twelve people and wounding many more. A car bomb was detonated outside an Armenian Church in Baghdad's upper market district. Two people were killed and twenty-two wounded in this and the other attack in the same neighborhood.

• August 1 Summar: A suicide bomber detonated his vehicle by crashing his truck into barriers surrounding the Summar police station. The driver was killed as were three police officers. Fifty-three people were injured in the attack.

• August 3 Baghdad: A truck bomb exploded at a police recruiting center, where hundreds of job applicants were gathered. Seventy people were killed in the attack.

• August 4 Buri Bark: The Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack that killed three people and injured four in the. The bomb was placed on a bicycle parked in a bazaar, and is believed to have been aimed at the district chief.

• August 5 Sylhet: A bombing occurred in two movie houses. The explosions were timed to take place about a half hour apart. A homeless boy was killed and eleven others injured, though it is impossible to disaggregate the numbers for each individual bomb from the reporting.

• August 5 Baghdad: A car bomb exploded outside of a police station in Southern Baghdad, killing five people and injuring twenty-one. The explosion was believed to be the work of a suicide bomber.

• August 7 A bomb in northeast Bangladesh that was planted in a Jeep parked on the premises of the Hotel Gulshan exploded, wounding twenty-five people. The blast took place only moments after a working meeting of the Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) adjourned. Most of the injured were local workers and members of the major opposition party.

• August 7 San Vicent de la Barquera: A small explosive device detonated at a tourist resort in San Vicent de la Barquera in Cantabria Province, in northern Spain. The bomb exploded after a telephone warning from an unidentified caller. Authorities are blaming this attack and a similar one in Asturias Province on the Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA).

• August 8 Islamabad: A second of two bombs exploded outside of Binoria Bakers. The second bomb, which weighed about one kilogram, was planted on a motorcycle, and exploded fifteen minutes after the first. The high number of casualties was because a number of people had gathered at the scene after the first blast.

• August 8 Medellin: A bomb exploded at a bridge in Medellin moments before a parade of antique cars was scheduled to cross it. Someone tossed a bomb, composed of one kg of R-1 explosive, off the bridge and onto a pile of rocks. Thirty-five spectators were injured in the blast, 3 of whom were seriously injured. Most injuries were caused by flying debris. It is unknown who carried out the attack or what motivated it. The car show was the closing event at the annual Fair of the Flowers.

• August 9 Diyala: A car bomb exploded in front of the house of the Diyala deputy governor. At least one Iraqi was killed and six others were injured. The blast appears to have been targeting the motorcade of the deputy governor.

• August 11 Khan Beni Saad: A makeshift bomb exploded in a popular marketplace in Khan Beni Saad, Iraq, killing four people and wounding ten.

• August 11 Qalandiyah: An explosion occurred at the Qalandiyah roadblock, injuring fifteen people and killing two Palestinians. The blast was caused by a car bomb. IDF forces arrested one Palestinian in connection with the attack. The attack was later claimed by al-Fatah.

• August 14: About twenty people were injured when a bomb exploded in a cinema on the eve of Independence Day, which is opposed by regional separatists. A grenade was thrown from the upper balcony resulting in serious injuries.

• August 15 Llanes: A very small explosive device detonated in the rubble of a construction site in the tourist city of Llanes. A caller, claiming to be a member of the Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA) warned of the device prior to its explosion. This is the fifth explosive attack in northern Spain in a little over a week that has either been claimed or is attributed to ETA. Police found the ETA initials scratched into the detonator of this device.

• August 17 Baghdad: A mortar attack on Baghdad City Center killed seven people and wounded forty-two others. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack.

• August 19 Farah: Over a dozen people were injured, including three foreigners, a radio worker, and several Afghan policemen, when six rapid explosions occurred near a voter registration center in Farah. The attack is being blamed on the Taliban, who have vowed to disrupt national elections.

• August 21 Baqubah: An explosive charge was detonated in the al-Sabtiyah area of Ba'qubah. One Iraqi citizen was killed and fifty others injured. The intended target of the blast was not stated.

• August 21 Yala: Three bombs detonated in Yala town within twenty minutes of each other. The first of these bombs detonated in front of the Japan Karaoke restaurant, which is next door to the My House Hotel. Nine people were wounded in this blast, and six motorcycles that were parked nearby were damaged. The bomb was planted on a motorcycle that was parked in front of the restaurant. Authorities suspect Muslim insurgents with separatist ideologies. The attacks came only five days ahead of a planned visit by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to the region.

• August 21 Chechnya: A group of gunmen attacked a police station and several polling sites in the lead up to the elections in Chechnya. Casualty reports varied. Some estimates suggested that ten to fifteen people, including civilians, police officers, and gunmen, died in the incident, while at least twenty others were injured. Other reports placed the death toll much higher, at seventy people killed. The attack came only hours before the visit of President Putin to the region.

• August 24 Dortyol: An explosive device, which had been left in front of an Is Bankasi ATM, detonated and injured seven people. The attack took place in Dortyol, in southern Hatay Province. Windows in nearby homes were shattered and a nearby bakery was damaged by the blast.

• August 24 Baghdad: The Iraqi minister of education, Sami al-Muzaffar, survived an assassination attempt. An explosive charge was set off near his car, killing two people and wounding three others.

• August 25 Nowshera: A powerful bomb exploded on a railroad track near Nowshera. The bomb was timed to detonate as a passenger train passed from Quetta bound for Peshawar. However, the train was delayed and thus, no injuries occurred.

• August 26 Kashmir: Two children were killed and their parents were injured in a grenade attack on their house in Gandoh. Militants were apparently aiming at the Central Reserve Police Force, when the rocket missed the target and landed on the family's house.

• August 26 Najaf: Ten Iraqi supporters of al Sistani were killed by gunmen in Najaf. No further information is available.

• August 26 Sukhurin: A remote-controlled explosive device, which was planted on a motorcycle, exploded in a crowded marketplace in Sukhurin, in Narathiwat Province. The blast killed one person and injured at least twenty-five others, including soldiers, police officers and schoolchildren. The device was most likely triggered by remote control and took place as a truck full of security officials pulled up to eat breakfast. This attack comes one day before the scheduled visit to the province of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

• August 26 Assam: Two blasts on bus transportation links killed five people and injured 43 in insurgent racked Assam province.

• August 28: Eight children were killed when a powerful bomb exploded outside of a religious school financed by the ICRC. The children were being taught modern education along with lessons from the Koran. Parts of the building completely collapsed. The bomb was planted on a motorcycle placed outside of the school. Over a dozen young boys were injured.

• August 28 Santiago de Compostela: An explosive device detonated in Santiago de Compostela, a popular Christian tourist destination in northern Spain, after a telephone warning was made about the device. The caller identified himself as belonging to the Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA). The device had been planted in the ivy along a wall of a church in the Parque de la Alameda. No injuries were caused. This was one of two explosive attacks on this day that are attributed to ETA. This is the fourth consecutive weekend that ETA has targeted tourist resorts in northern Spain.

• August 29 Kabul: Ten people were killed in a bomb attack on the US security firm, Dyncorp, in Kabul. Three Americans, three Afghan nationals, and three Nepalese citizens died in the attack. Dyncorp provides security for Karzai, and is also located near a UN guest house. Numerous others were wounded and dozens of shops and buildings were damaged or destroyed. The bomb was apparently placed in a car and exploded by a remote device. In January 2005, an Afghan judge was arrested in connection with this attack. Authorities who were searching the judge's house, found explosives. The Taliban is reportedly responsible for this attack.

• August 31 Kirkuk: The Education Department Director General in Kirkuk, Ibrahim Isma'il, was killed when armed men opened fire on him. Two of his guards were injured as were two civilians.

• August 31 Moscow: A female suicide bomber blew herself up outside of the entrance to the Rizhshkaya subway station and the Krestovskiy shopping center. The explosive device was equivalent to 2 kg of TNT. The explosion was intended to occur inside the station, but the woman apparently was afraid of the police searching people and papers at the entrance to the station. Police believe that the incident may be connected to the airline crashes that occurred one week earlier, perhaps by one of the other two women seen leaving Khasavyurt with the women suspected of perpetrating the airliner attacks. The same group, the Islambouli Brigade of Martyrs claimed responsibility for the attack. Eleven people were killed in the attack and at least fifty wounded. The suicide bomber was identified as Roza Magayeva, the sister of Aminat Nagayev who is believed to be responsible for one of the two airliner crashes. Later, officials reported that Nikolay Kipkeyev was one of the victims of the blast. Kipkeyev was on the MVD wanted list for participation in illegal and terrorist-related activity. Officials speculate that he may have been involved somehow in the attack. In a letter following the Beslan school hostage taking, Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for the incident.

• August 31 Beersheba: Two buses near the Beersheba municipality building were blown up by a suicide bomber. The suicide bomber took advantage of the fact that the two buses were standing together. He blew up a bomb on one bus and then exploded a second bomb on the second bus. At least fifteen people were killed and around eighty-five injured. The military wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it as a response to the assassination of Yasin, a leading Hamas official.

September

• September 1: A group of thirty to thirty-five (sources varied) armed Chechen separatists, including men and women, many wearing suicide bomber belts, seized a school in the Southern Russian town of Belsan taking children, parents, and teachers hostage in the school gym. At least ten of the hostage-takers appeared to be from Arab countries.[1] A series of explosions shook the school, followed by a fire which engulfed the building and a chaotic gunbattle between the hostage-takers and Russian security forces. Ultimately, at least 334 hostages were killed, including 186 children.

• September 4 Kirkuk: A suicide car-bomb exploded in front of the Iraqi Police Academy in Kirkuk. At least twenty-one people were killed and over thirty wounded in the attack. Those killed included police, military personnel, and civilians.

• September 4: Hooded gunmen opened fire on a congregation inside a church located near Colombia's border with Ecuador. Four parishioners were killed and fourteen wounded in the attack. Army officials believe the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) carried out the attack because the church had spoken out against the FARC's forced recruitment of local youth. It was reported the Protestant pastors in the region had preciously received death threats.

• September 7: A rocket was fired at the Sederot settlement. One person sustained slight injuries. The military wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

• September 9 Jakarta: Nine people and at least one suicide bomber were killed when a large car bomb detonated outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Over 180 others were injured by the blast. No Australians were killed by the bomb, which authorities blame on the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). It is uncertain if the group claimed responsibility for the attack or not. The blast shattered the windows in seven nearby buildings and left a large crater in the pavement. Authorities found traces of TNT and sulfate at the scene, the same materials that were used in the Marriott Hotel bombing in October 2002 and the Bali nightclub bombings. On 17 September, police made their first arrest in this case. They took into custody a man who they believe to have transporting the explosives used in this attack. On 1 October, authorities identified the suicide bomber as Heri Golun, based on DNA tests done at the scene. On 24 November, police announced that they had arrested four more suspects in connection with this attack. The four men were identified as Iwan Darmawan (alias Rois), Hassan, Apuy and Sogir (alias Ansori).

• September 11 Basra: Two people were killed and three others wounded when a road-side explosive charge went off near the offices of the US Embassy in Basra.

• September 11 Herat Province: A time bomb explosion damaged parts of the Bahar-e-Azadi Hotel in He'rat Province. There were no casualties or injuries, but the damage is significant.

• September 12 Katmandu: Nine people were injured when a crude bomb placed on the road the Kathmandu's airport exploded. The prime minister was due to arrive from India and was expected to travel along the road. The device exploded as security officers were trying to defuse it. The bomb was a rigged liquid petroleum gas cylinder what was on a bridge. Police are blaming the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-M) for the attack.

• September 12 Mosul: Gunmen attacked a group of policemen in Mosul, killing one and wounding seven others.

• September 14 Baghdad: A car bomb exploded outside of the police station on Hayfa Street in Baghdad, where a crowd of volunteers and recruits were waiting to join the police force. Forty-seven people were killed and 114 wounded in the attack. The group headed by Abu Musab al-Zarquawi, Tawhid and Jihad (Tanzim Qa'idat Al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn), claimed responsibility for the attack.

• September 16 Baghdad: Five people were wounded in a blast in Baghdad targeting an alcohol shop. Liquor stores are often the target of attacks by fundamentalists who dislike their presence.

• September 16 Baqubah: A police patrol in Baqubah was hit by an explosive device that wounded four police officers and a civilian.

• September 17 Baghdad: Five people were killed and twenty others wounded when a car bomb exploded outside the National Guard Headquarters in Baghdad. The blast targeted a large number of people who were volunteering for duty.

• September 18 Kirkuk: A suicide bomber drove his car into a crowd waiting to apply for jobs with the National Guard in Kirkuk. Guardsmen opened fire on the car before it blew up. At least twenty-one people were killed and sixty-seven wounded in the attack, all civilians.

• September 20 Baghdad: Four students from the Faculty of Islamic Law and Jurisprudence in Baghdad University were killed and seven other wounded when an armed group opened fire on them. Baghdad University is considered a political target because of connections between the University and both the Iraqi Constitution and the political arena. Two of the members of the Iraqi governing council which drafted the Constitution were affiliated with the University, including Salama al-Khufaji, a female professor of dentistry, and Moshen Abdul Hameed, a professor at the University and the head of the Iraqi Islamic Party. Wamid Nadmi, also a professor at the University, and a spokesman for the Iraqi National Founding Congress, has been involved in the Sunni movement against the January 30 elections, on the grounds that Sunnis are at a disadvantage. Many Iraqi academics, including professors and the president of Baghdad University, have been killed since the beginning of the insurgency, some because they are Sunni and are considered holdovers from the previous regime and some because they seem to be cooperating with Americans.

• September 22 Baghdad: A suicide car bombing occurred on a street in Baghdad, killing at least five Iraqis and wounding about ten others. The blast targeted a makeshift recruiting center for the Iraqi National Guard. The makeshift recruiting center was moved to this location after it was targeted by another car bomb in another location the day before.

• September 22 Jerusalem: A female suicide bomber detonated her bomb at the French Hill intersection in Jerusalem. She had tried to enter the protected soldier's pickup station but has been prevented. Two people were killed and fifteen injured in the attack. The blast was targeted at the large number of civilians at the station at the time of attack. The military wing of al-Fatah claimed responsibility for the attack.

• September 24 Mairtup, Chechnya: One bodyguard of the Chechen president, Bai Ali Salmanov and one of his relatives were shot dead by assailants in the village of Mairtup. Another relative was wounded in the attack. Police were investigating.

• September 26 Baghdad: Ten people were killed and twenty-six wounded when a convoy of oil tanker trucks were attacked by rockets in Al-Latifiyah. The tankers belonged to the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. At least five out of the twelve trucks were damaged.

• September 29 Sederot: A Qassam rocket landed between two houses in Sederot, killing two and injuring seventeen. The rocket was launched from the Jabaliya area.

• September 30 Baghdad: A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle outside a crowded complex near Abu Ghraib which houses the mayor's office, a police station, and other government buildings. As many as ten people were killed and sixty wounded in the attack.

• September 30 Talafar: A car bomb exploded outside a mosque in Talafar, targeting a police chief and police patrol. At least four people were killed and sixteen wounded in the attack. Police captain Col. Ismail was not injured in the attack.

October

• October 1 Islamabad: A bomb exploded at a Shia mosque and killed thirty people and injured dozens of others. The explosion occurred during Friday prayers. Nearly 1,000 people were inside of the mosque at the time. Initial reports suggested that the bomb was set off by a suicide bomber. However, later investigations revealed that the bomb was set of by a remote device, that was passed on to an innocent bystander. The device later exploded. Angry Shia protesters riot in the aftermath of the attack, which came days after Pakistani security forces killed Amjad Hussain Farooq, an al-Qaeda operative.

• October 2 Assam: In Assam militants exploded a bomb that killed thirteen people and injured twenty-three. The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) is believed to be responsible for the attack. The intended target of the attack is unclear.

• October 2 Assam: A second bomb blast occurred at the busy Hong Kong market, almost simultaneously with the railway blast in Assam. The bomb killed ten people and injured at least forty others. The two blasts are thought to have been coordinated.

• October 2 Assam: Twelve people were killed and at least sixty others injured in a bomb blasts targeting a rail line in Assam. The first occurred at the Dimapur railway station, and resulted in the deaths of all twelve people. The platform was packed with people waiting to board a train to Assam's Karbi district.

• October 3 Kashmir: The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) bombed a market in Dhubri District, killing three and wounding twenty-five people. No further information is provided.

• October 3: One person was killed when a motorcycle bomb placed on a road exploded. Officials were supposed to have passed along the road, but the device exploded too early, killing the bomber and injuring two others.

• October 4 San Sebastian: Several incendiary devices were thrown at a Peugeot dealership in San Sebastian, by unknown assailants. Fire officers were able to prevent the blaze from causing major damages to the upper floors. This may be a retaliatory action on behalf of the Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA) or groups sympathetic, to the major arrest of several ETA members over the weekend.

• October 4 Baghdad: A truck driven by a suicide bomber was detonated at the entrance to the Green Zone in Baghdad. The driver targeted an Iraq police forces compound at one of the Green Zone entrances, and appears to have targeted the police. Initial reports were ten dead and more than seventy wounded.

• October 4 Baghdad: Two people were killed and at least seventeen others injured when a car bomb exploded near a hotel complex frequented by Westerners in central Baghdad. The perpetrators were unknown.

• October 5 Katmandu: At least six people were wounded when a bomb went off at the Kathmandu Development Committee office. Four young men and two young women, suspected to be anti-government insurgents threw a bomb on the ground floor of the building. Several rooms were damaged.

• October 6 Badakhshan Province: The governor of Badakhshan Province and three other people were injured in an explosion. Two other people died in the incident, in which a landmine was detonated by remote-control. Hamid Karzai's running mate, Ahmed Zia Masud, was 200 meters away from the explosion. He was not injured in the attack.

• October 6: Suspected Muslim extremists killed two officials and injured seven others, hours after the government reshuffled the cabinet to create a new terrorism team. The attack took place in one of the troubled southern provinces.

• October 7: A powerful car bomb explosion killed over thirty-eight people and injured at least a hundred others. The explosion occurred after people were going home following the end of a religious rally among members of the outlawed Sunni Muslim group Millat-e-Islamia, who were marking the anniversary of their slain leader Azam Tariq. The bomb was a remote-detonate device. The attacks may have been in response to a bombing of a Shia mosque days before.

• October 7 Ras al-Shitan: In the final of three coordinated attacks in the Sinai, a car-bomb was detonated outside of al-Badiyah campground in Ras al-Shitan. The attacker, believed to be either Mohamed Ahmed Saleh Flayfil or Hammad Gaman Gomah (both Egyptians), drove a Nissan to the entrance to the camp and fled shortly before the bomb detonated. In the two attacks at Ras al-Shitan, it is believed that two people were killed and some twelve injured. The majority of the fatalities in the coordinated operations occurred in the Taba attack, in which 400 lbs of explosives were used to sheer off the front of the ten story Hilton hotel. On 26 October, authorities arrested five Egyptians in connection with these attacks. The Battalions of the Martyr Abdullah Azzam, Al-Qaeda in the Levant and Egypt claimed responsibility for the attacks, but their claim was never verified.

• October 8 Paris: An explosive device detonated at the Indonesian Embassy in downtown Paris, injuring ten people. The explosion shattered the windows in nearby buildings and flying glass was the cause of most of the injuries. A group calling themselves the "French Armed Islamic Front" claimed responsibility for the attack, though authorities are unsure whether they claim is believable or not. The group called for the release of two guerrilla fighters believed to be members of the Algerian Islamic Army (GIA), who are serving life sentences for a bomb attack in Paris in 1990.

• October 10 Islamabad: Four people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated a powerful bomb at a Jamia Kashmiryan Shia mosque. Roughly 200 Muslims had gathered at the Mosque for Maghrib prayers. The bomber attempted to enter the mosque at the main gate, but was stopped by a security guard who was killed when the bomber shot him. The bomber appeared to have had the bomb in a bag and detonated it at the entrance to the mosque. Sixteen people were also injured by the blast.

• October 12 Pattani Province: A bomb exploded near a branch office of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative in Pattani Province's Ka Po district. Police say it was detonated by cell phone. Nearly simultaneously, police found a suspected bomb at a bridge about 10 km away. Seven hours earlier, a paramilitary volunteer was killed and five policemen injured when gunmen opened fire on a government office and nearby police station at Kapho town in Pattani province, just 300 m away from the site of the first blast. There were no reports of any casualties.

• October 12 Pattani Province: A paramilitary volunteer was killed and five policemen injured when gunmen opened fire on a government office and nearby police station at Kapho in Pattani province. Police are blaming Muslim insurgents.

• October 15 Al-Dawrah: A car driven by a suicide bomber blew up in an Iraqi Police contingent in main street in Al-Dawrah, south Baghdad. One civilian and nine policemen were injured in the incident and five police were killed.

• October 15 Baghdad: Two bombs were detonated by suicide bombers in the 'Green Zone' of Baghdad, killing at least ten people, including four Americans (all workers at Dyncorp), and wounding twenty others (including two US state department employees). The bombs were set off close together at a market and popular café. The group led by Abu Musab Al-Zarquawi, Tawhid and Jihad, claimed responsibility for the blasts. Two Jordanian men are suspected of perpetrating the café blast. Both entered the café, drank tea, and then one left. The other detonated his bomb following the exit of the first man. At least six were killed and about eighteen injured in the café blast. None of the killed in this incident were Americans.

• October 17 Chechnya: A car bomb exploded outside of a hospital in Groznyy, killing gone police officer and wounding 2 other officers and four pedestrians.

• October 21 Corsica: A powerful explosive device detonated at the Aleria gendarmerie on the island of Corsica. The blast occurred in front of one of the entrances to the gendarmerie and was far more powerful than previous blasts targeting gendarmeries on the island. No one was harmed, as an anonymous caller warned of the device a half hour before it detonated and everyone was evacuated from the premises. On 28 October, three Corsican nationalists were arrested in connection with this attack. On 14 February 2005, the Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) claimed responsibility for this attack and twelve others on the island.

• October 21 Baghdad: Gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying female employees of the Iraqi Airways at the Baghdad airport, killing one woman and injuring fourteen others. Sources indicate that two cars of armed men stopped the bus on the western outskirts of the capital. One assailant threw at least two hand grenades into the bus and then gunmen opened fire from the outside.

• October 23 Kabul: The Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide mission carried out on "Chicken Street," a narrow, busy shopping district with jewelry, rug, and antique shops in Kabul. There were reportedly two fatalities, one US woman civilian and an Afghani. There were at least seven others wounded, including three Icelandic ISAF soldiers. Afghan citizens comprise the rest of the wounded group.

• October 23 Khan Al-Baghdadi: A suicide car bomber attacked a police station in Khan al-Baghdadi killing sixteen Iraqi police and wounding at least thirty others. The car bomb targeted the police station where many Iraqis were lined up to surrender their weapons and/or join the police force. The station is also the site of a police training center. At the time of the attack, police were gathered at the station for a training course.

• October 24 Kasmir: Unknown perpetrators detonated a bomb, attempting to kill Omar Abdullah, the leader of pro-India National Conference Party. The attack was carried out as Abdullah was attending a prayer ceremony for the former National Conference minister Safdar Ali Baig (killed by militants). The rebels' bomb missed their target, but injured four others in the crowd. There were no fatalities.

• October 24 Trabzon: Six people were injured when an explosive device detonated at a McDonalds fast food restaurant in Trabzon. The victims were taken to the hospital immediately after the blast. The perpetrators managed to escape. No further information is available.

• October 25 Mosul: Two suicide car bombs detonated in Mosul, killing at least three Iraqis and wounding at least nine government employees. Both suicide attackers were also killed. The first bomb caused most of the casualties and targeted a Nineveh governorate compound.

• October 28 Islamabad: There was an explosion in the lobby of a Marriott Hotel in the center of Islamabad. The government of Pakistan claims that there was an electrical short circuit, but there is evidence of foul play. The hotel is frequented by foreign journalists, diplomats, and business people and is located a few hundred meters from the president's house. There were US diplomats and military troops at the hotel. There was a purported "important personality" to arrive at the hotel on 30 November. The explosion occurred while a bomb disposal squad team was doing an inspection. It was reported that despite the "short circuit," all of the lights were still on. A few days later, an al Qaeda activist and tribal leader wanted by Pakistan for the abduction of a Chinese Engineer, Cdr Abdullah Mahsud, claimed responsibility for the explosion. Interior Ministry recommended equipping law enforcement agencies with explosive detectors (despite the fact that the government still claimed the incident to be an electrical failure).

• October 28 Pattani Province: A bomb exploded outside a bar frequented by tourists in Narathiwat province. Two tourists, Malaysian national Sawakiaat Hoe and Thai national Pissamai Daengdamdi, were killed in the blast. At least twenty-one were wounded. Reports indicate the blast may have been a revenge attack for the eighty-five Muslim protesters crushed to death on October 25 en route to a military detention center. It is not clear if the bar was the intended target. A police station was also nearby the blast.

• October 29 Bogota: A bomb exploded near a bus stop along Bogotá's Transmilenio bus system route. A taxi passing by was caught in the blast resulting in the death of the driver and a passenger. Two other passengers were also injured. The explosion damaged about 30 houses in the area. The chief of police believes the attack was aimed at the bus stop but did not comment on the motive of the attack or who was responsible for it. The Transmilenio system has been the target of at least three attacks.

• October 30 Baghdad: A car bomb exploded outside the office of the Al-Arabiya television station in Baghdad killing at least seven people and wounding nineteen. The incident was initially claimed by the National Islamic Resistance, 1920 Revolution Brigades. Later this group denied responsibility and the Jihadist Martyrs Brigades in Iraq, Saraya al-Shuhada al-jihadiyah Fi al-Iraq, claimed responsibility. The group claimed that Al-Arabiya was the "mouthpiece of the American occupation in Iraq" and threatened that similar attacks would be launched against any non-neutral media source. The network's staff was in a meeting at the time of the explosion.

November

• November 1 Tel Aviv: A teenage Palestinian suicide bomber struck an outdoor market in Tel Aviv, killing at least three people and wounding more than thirty. The bomber hit the Carmel Market at 11am, causing a big explosion using 5 kg of explosives. The attack was claimed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The group said they carried our the attack to show that Arafat's illness would not stop the fight against the Israeli occupiers and as a warning to those who talk of reducing the resistance movement. Israeli forces razed the home of the suicide bomber the following day in retaliation.

• November 2 Islamabad: 20-25 kilos of TNT, which was packed in a white Suzuki FX with a timing device and was parked behind the office of the provincial chief minister in the city center and 30 meters from the Afghan consulate, detonated. The perpetrator is unknown, but there have been reported low-level insurgency on government targets in the "resource rich" province of Baluchistan. Four people suffered minor injuries from flying glass when the car detonated. Windows were shattered and two homes were damaged.

• November 2 Baghdad: A car bomb exploded on Tuesday near the Ministry of Education in Baghdad, killing eight people and wounding twenty-nine others. The car plowed into the concrete blast walls and protective barriers surrounding the compound.

• November 3 Baghdad: A car bomb exploded at a checkpoint on the Baghdad Airport Road, injuring 9 airline employees who were also waiting at the checkpoint. The suicide bomber detonated his bomb when a soldier approached the car and asked for identification.

• November 4 Tikrit: A suicide bomber blew up a car in front of the building of the municipal council in Tikrit. As a result, ten people were wounded including civilians and National Guard members. Prior to the attack police guards tried to prevent the bomber from reaching the building, but failed.

• November 6 Samarra: An attack by gunmen on a police station in central Samarra killed four policemen and wounded six others. The attack occurs on the same day as extensive violence in the city. An attack by gunmen on a police station in southern Samarra killed or wounded fifteen people (the report does not disaggregate the number of killed or injured). The attack occurs on the same day as extensive violence in the city.

• November 6 Samarra: A suicide car bomb exploded in front of a police station in Samarra. This was one of four bombs that exploded nearly simultaneously in front of different police stations in the city. The fourth bomb exploded slightly after the first three. At least forty-two people were killed and sixty-two wounded in all four attacks. The group affiliated with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the attacks. Note: No information on each individual attack's casualty numbers was available.

• November 8 Baghdad: A car bomb exploded outside St. Matthews Catholic Church in Baghdad. The blast was one of two suicide attacks on churches in Baghdad on this day. The blasts occurred within minutes of each other, killing at least four people and wounding over forty, though it is impossible to disaggregate how many were killed and injured in each attack.

• November 8 Eindhoven: An explosive device detonated at the Tarieq Ibnu Zyad Muslim school in the southern Dutch town of Eindhoven. The device blew the front door off the school but took place in the middle of the night and didn't cause any casualties. Windows in nearby buildings were also shattered by the blast. Authorities believe that this attack was a retaliatory attack after Tuesday's slaying of a Dutch film maker. Theo Van Gogh was shot and stabbed by suspected Islamic radicals and this attack may be in retaliation for that incident.

• November 9 Sundhara: A bomb was planted inside state-owned Employees’ Provident Fund building at Sundhara, a new government office building that was supposed to be populated the next week (after the Hindu Diwali festival). Authorities are blaming the Communist Party of Nepal- Maoists (CPN-M). Thirty-eight laborers and pedestrians were injured.

• November 9 Baqubah: The Tahrir Police Station in Baqubah was attacked by gunmen. This was one of three police station attacks on this day. A total of forty-five people were killed and thirty-two wounded, mostly police men. Note casualty figures obtained only for the three attacks total.

• November 9 Urosevac: A car bomb went off in Urosevac, injuring two people, one of them a US member of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (Kfor), and the other a passer-by. Police and Kfor members evacuated the area, on the suspicion that there were explosives placed in the car and while they were inspecting the car, the bomb went off.

• November 11 Baghdad: At least nineteen people were killed and fifteen wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a car bomb in central Baghdad, in a busy market during rush hour. The blast damages twenty-five cars, twenty shops, and left a hole in the ground. The attack targeted a vehicle carrying Americans.

• November 11 Kirkuk Insurgents attacked several police stations, overwhelming and eventually controlling some of them. Several police cars were also burned. No information on how many or which police stations were attacked was available. The attacks occurred as US forces tried to control the insurgents in the city.

• November 12 Narthiwat Province: A bomb exploded at 6 pm at the Angmor Restaurant in Narathiwat province's Muang city district. At least sixteen people were seriously injured. A person posing as a customer left an explosives-filled bag behind a refrigerator in the restaurant and detonated it via mobile phone after leaving. The restaurant is frequented by ethnic Thais and Chinese in the province. Within two hours, two other bombs exploded in the province: one at a general store in Tak Bai, the other at a military checkpoint in the Bacho district. No one was injured in these bombings. The coordinated blasts appear to be a continuation of the violence in the area since the October 25 riot in Tak Bai in which eighty-five people were killed.

• November 13 Yala Province: A bomb believed to have been detonated by mobile phone exploded in a market in Yala province's Than To province. It instantly killed a vegetable vendor, Sompong Nukhao, and injured eight others.

• November 13 Ban Buketa: A bomb exploded near a market in Ban Buketa in the Waeng district of Narathiwat province. The explosion seriously injured two people: Anand Waebuesa and Roebusee Badae.

• November 15 Northern Ireland: A pipe bomb detonated at the home of Gwen Mulholland and her family in Tamlaght O'Crilly, a small village near Maghera. There were no reported injuries. A Sinn Féin authority blamed the attack on loyalist paramilitaries, though police had not confirmed that accusation.

• November 16 Uruzgan Province: A police vehicle hit a homemade bomb triggered by a remote controlled device (according to the Uruzgan province police chief Rozi Khan). Four Afghan police were killed and five injured. Among the injured was the district police chief. The injured police were evacuated by US troops in the area and brought to Kandahar for treatment. The attack was claimed by Mufti Latifullah Hakimi, claiming to speak for the Taliban.

• November 17 Mingora: A bomb exploded in a cinema in Mingora, killing two people and wounding twenty-nine. The bomb was planted under a seat at the back of Palwasha cinema and exploded just before the end of the movie. The bomb was apparently hidden in a plastic bag. It is possible that the suspect could be among the wounded.

• November 17 Kashmir: One person was killed and four other injured when a funeral procession for two youths, Ranjit Kumar and Roshan Lal, was attacked by militants in Tund Nallah. The attackers threw a bomb at the procession and also sprayed the crowd with gunfire. The two dead youths being honored by the funeral had been gunned down by ultras earlier. The Prime Minister was also scheduled to visit the region the next day.

• November 19 Baghdad: A suicide bomber exploded his vehicle near an Iraqi police patrol in Baghdad. One policeman was injured and one killed. Up to ten bystanders were also wounded.

• November 19 Jitpur. The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-M) exploded a bomb in the government Sugarcane Research and Development office building in Jitpur of Bara. There were no reports of injuries or fatalities. The building is said to have been completely destroyed.

• November 21 Kissufim: Nine Israeli settlers were wounded in a joint attack by the Islamic Jihad and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) groups. The groups ambushed a convoy of vehicles along the Kissufim road. Two vehicles fell into a nearby valley.

• November 25 Oismae: A man was detained wearing explosives near a housing block in the residential district of Oismae. While in a police car with four law-enforcement officers, the man activated the explosive device, killing himself and wounding four others. The man was reported as "Russian speaking", but no other details about him are known.

• November 26 Kunkuz City: Three German soldiers affiliated with the NATO led International Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan were injured when a bomb exploded while they were patrolling Kunkuz City to the airport southwest of the city in their car. The Taliban claimed responsibility in a letter left beside the bomb site. They threatened more attacks on foreign troops and cited an "attack against the infidels"

• November 26 Baghdad: Four members of a British security firm, Global Risk Strategies, that provides security in Iraq were killed and fifteen wounded when either a rocket or a mortar round hit the firm's compound. The four dead were of Nepalese origin. This attack took place in Baghdad's heavily guarded Green Zone. Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for the attack.

• November 27 Chechnya: Two policemen were killed in Germenchuk, in Chechnya's Shali district, when unidentified attackers fired Kalashnikov assault rifles into their car from another car on Germanchuk's central street. The attackers' car was later found abandoned fifteen miles away.

• November 28 Samarra: A car bomb killed six people and injured five others when it hit two civilian vehicles in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad. The blast occurred as a minibus drove past a school. All the casualties were passengers in the minibus.

• November 28 Bogota: A bomb exploded beside the mayor's office in the Rafael Uribe district of Bogotá on Sunday evening. Initial reports indicated the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were involved. The only fatality was the person who was carrying the bomb. Those injured where passengers in a bus traveling by when the explosion took place. Otherwise the explosion damaged the building and broke the windows of the bus.

• November 29 Ramadi: A suicide bomber drove into a group of policemen waiting to collect their salaries in western Ramadi. Twelve people were killed and ten wounded. Most of the victims were police officers.

• November 30 Bogota: Three people were killed and eight wounded when a fragment grenade was left at a supermarket checkout counter. It is believed that the National Liberation Army (ELN) is behind the attack which was carried out in retaliation for the recent capture of one of their chiefs. A man who left the bomb quickly fled through the back exit.

December

• December 1 Farah Province: The Taliban attacked the staff of the Ministry of Rural Development in Farah Province. Three were killed, two wounded, and one was taken hostage. The date of the attack was not mentioned, however, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Afghan Rural Development Minister released his statement regarding the attack on 1 December. The tactic and weapon were unknown.

• December 2 Farah Province: Chalermpong Muakchumbot, a Buddhist school teacher, was gunned down by motorcycle gunmen, who followed him as he was driving home from school. A passenger in the car, Charal Kanchanarangsri, was also injured in the shooting. The attack took place in the Saiburi district of Pattani province. Police believe that the killings were part of targeted attacks by Muslim militants in Southern Thailand.

• December 2 Baghdad: A mortar attack was launched against the Abi-Nuwwas theater in Baghdad. This was one of several attacks in Baghdad on this day. A total of three people were killed and dozens wounded.

• December 3 Madrid: A small, low-potency explosive device, detonated at a petrol station along the N-5 highway (which leads to Lisbon) in Madrid. This was one of five explosive attacks on petrol stations throughout Madrid on this evening. An anonymous caller representing the Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA) warned of the devices prior to their detonation. Six people were slightly injured in the attacks, though it is impossible to disaggregate the numbers for each individual attack. The attacks came as residents were traveling away from the city for a holiday weekend.

• December 3 Mosul: Unknown individual shelled the Ninawa Governorate building in Mosul with three mortar shells. The shells fell on a residential community near the building, wounding at least ten people.

• December 4 Baghdad: A suicide bomber drove a minibus filled with explosives into a police station near the Green Zone, killing eight officers and wounding thirty-eight. Police officers were gathering in front for roll call at the time of the attack. The blast caused the roof of the station to collapse.

• December 4 Mosul: Fifteen Kurdish security personnel were killed and twenty-five wounded when a bomb detonated outside of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan headquarters in Mosul. The security personnel were in a bus in front of the headquarters when the bomb detonated.

• December 6 Malaga: An explosive device detonated in the city of Malaga, though it is unclear where exactly the blast took place. A caller, representing the Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA) called in a warning prior to the blast. This was one of seven bomb attacks that took place all over Spain on this day, a holiday to celebrate Spain's independence. All seven of the bombs are being blamed on ETA. These attacks also come only three days after a series of five explosive devices detonated at five gas stations in Madrid. Those attacks are being blamed on ETA as well.

• December 6 Rangae District: A bomb went off in Rangae district, Narathiwat province. The bomb detonated at a gathering point of defense volunteers near Tanyongmas market. The senior chief of Rangae district, Preecha Nuannoi, was injured.

• December 6 Ciudad Real: One police officer was injured in an explosive attack in Ciudad Real. An explosive device detonated in the kitchen of the El Peral café in the city, after an anonymous caller representing the Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA) called in a warning of the attack. This was one of seven bomb attacks that took place all over Spain on this day, a holiday to celebrate Spain's independence. All seven of the bombs are being blamed on ETA. These attacks also come only three days after a series of five explosive devices detonated at five gas stations in Madrid. Those attacks are being blamed on ETA as well.

• December 6 Santillana del Mar: An explosive device detonated in the Robleda Park in Santillana del Mar, injuring two people; a woman and a child. This was one of seven bomb attacks that took place all over Spain on this day, a holiday to celebrate Spain's independence. All seven of the bombs are being blamed on the Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA). These attacks also come only three days after a series of five explosive devices detonated at five gas stations in Madrid. Those attacks are being blamed on ETA as well.

• December 6 Balabolok District, Farah: A suspected Al Qaeda armed attack was carried out on police in a village in Balabolok District, Farah. One policeman was killed and two were injured. One suspect was arrested and two escaped. Two Corolla station wagons were seized by the police.

• December 6 Jeddah: Five Saudi militants attacked the US consulate in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. Saudi forces killed three of the militants and wounded the other two (one subsequently died of his wounds). The militants threw explosives at the gates of the walled consulate and then entered through the entrance used to deliver mail to the consulate, firing at the guards as they went. They had tried to enter in their car but were blocked by an automatic gate. About eighteen third-country nationals were taken hostage inside the consulate for some time, but were later released. Some reports indicated the hostages were used as human shields when the Saudi guards engaged the militants. American Marines and Saudi guards eventually repelled the militants. Five non-American employees were killed in the attack along with some Saudi security personnel. The victims were of several nationalities: one Yemeni, one Sudanese, one Filipino, a Pakistani, and a Sri Lankan. Several Saudi security personnel were also injured in the attack, along with more embassy personnel (two Yemenis, two Pakistanis, a Lebanese, a Filipino, an Indian, and Sri Lankan). Saudi sources said that several Saudi civilians were also hit by gunfire. Two Americans sustained slight injuries. Consulate workers reported that the militants entered one of the consulate buildings and began screaming: "Where are the Americans?" However, no Americans worked in that building. The attackers failed to reach the main building where Americans work. A Saudi group linked to Al-Qaeda, calling itself Qaeda al Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula, claimed responsibility for the attack on several Islamic websites. The group said that the attack had been organized by al-Qaeda. However, during the attack the hostage takers called Saudi officials and identified themselves as the Fallujah Brigades (this discrepancy is not yet addressed). The attack occurs exactly one year after the Interior Ministry took the step of listing twenty-six wanted terrorists linked to al-Qaeda. None of the attackers were on this list of most wanted terrorists. Several of the militants were later identified as Fayiz Bin Awwad al-Jihinni, Id Bin Dakhilallah al-Jihinni, and Hasan bin-Hamid al-Hazimi.

• December 7 Mosul: Militants bombed two churches in Mosul, wounding a total of three people in the attacks. The first attack occurred at the church of the Chaldean bishopric in Mosul. Three people were wounded in this attack. The attackers ordered the guards out of the church before detonating the explosives. Severe damage was done to the church.

• December 8 Iraq: A bomb exploded near two Iraqi police vehicles, as the vehicles passed by. The explosion killed one policeman and wounded five others. Only one of the cars was severely damaged.

• December 9 Mozdok-Gazimagomed: An explosion destroyed a section of the Mozdok-Gazimagomed gas pipeline, injuring twenty-two people. The fire resulting from an explosion of unknown origin began at about 10:00 pm Moscow time at the 614th kilometer of the pipeline just outside Makhachkala. The explosion put about 148,000 people out of natural gas. Most of the twenty-two injured were mildly to severely burned. Preliminary analysis pointed to the possibility of an artillery shell aimed at the pipeline.

• December 11 Colombo: A bomb detonated by an unknown person resulted in two deaths, including one journalist, and nineteen reported injuries. The attack was at an open air stadium staging a concert of the Indian artist Shahrukh Khan in Colombo. The concert was being protested by Buddhist monks for being held on the anniversary of the death of a monk one year before (Gangodawila Soma). The artist observed a minute of silence in honor of the monk and proceeded. Many government dignitaries, including, the High Commissioner of India Nirupama Rao, Minister of Transport Felix Perera, Minister for Medium & Small Plantation Industries & Rural Human Resource Development C.B. Ratnayake, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Industries, and Investment Promotion Arjuna Ranatunga, and the Secretary of the Ministry C. Ramanujan, Thilanga Sumathipala, were all in attendance.

• December 13 General Santos City: A bomb exploded in a public market in General Santos City, killing sixteen people and wounding at least fifty-seven others. A week prior to the event, an anonymous source claimed that a group associated with Al-Ghozi (a member of Jemaah Islamiyah) threatened to burn the market in retaliation for the death of one of its members. However, Philippine police initially downplayed the bombing as the result of a feud between Christian and Muslim groups. Soon after the bombing, military intelligence sources concluded that Jemaah Islamiyah was responsible for the bombing and was working with Abu Sayyaf to bomb other targets on Mindanao Island. Police have arrested five suspects in the bombing, including Omar Hassan, an ASG rebel. Another four rebels were arrested in June 2005, including Uztadz Norodin Mangelen, the leader of the group thought responsible for this attack and another in March 2003 against the Davao airport. Mangelen told authorities that he is a local liaison for the JI.

• December 14 Bogotá: Three people were injured when a small bomb exploded in the back seat of a bus in the Transmilenio rapid transit system in Bogotá. Authorities believe the attack was carried out by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). This is the third such attack in forty-five days.

• December 14 Baghdad: A suicide bomber exploded his vehicle while in line at a checkpoint at the Western Gate of the Green Zone in Baghdad. Thirteen people were killed and fifteen wounded in the attack. Most of those killed were people waiting to enter the compound. No Americans were killed in the attack. The attack occurs exactly one year after the capture of Saddam Hussein. The group linked to Abu Musab al-Zarquawi, al-Qaeda in Iraq or Tanzim Qa'idat Al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn claimed responsibility for the attack.

• December 14 Assam: Two explosions occurred near the Assam Assembly building. The attacks were carried out by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). Two persons were killed and eight injured. Authorities believe that the group carried out these attacks to mark the completion of a year of the Bhutan operations that have "evicted the ULFA from the Himalayan kingdom."

• December 14 Baghdad: A suicide bomber blew up his vehicle at the western checkpoint into Baghdad's Green Zone. The blast occurred at the same place as a suicide bomb attack had occurred the day before. There were no US casualties in the attack.

• December 14 Basra-Baghdad: Ten cars carrying eighty-five Iraqi police recruits were attacked while traveling between Basra and Baghdad. Twenty-four recruits were killed or wounded and thirteen others were missing. Nine vehicles were destroyed. In addition, four policemen were killed and twenty were wounded (not recruits). Note: Injury and fatality numbers are estimates.

• December 15 Karbala: An explosive charge went off outside one of the entrances to the Imam Al-Husayn Shiite shrine in the city of Karbala. Twelve people were killed and about forty injured. The bomb exploded when a group of people were walking into evening prayers, following an aide to cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The aide, Sheik Abdul Mahdee al-Karbalayee, was wounded in the attack and is believed by some to be the primary target of the attack. He later died of his wounds. Local leaders also believe the attack was intended to fuel tension between Shiites and Sunnis in the lead up to the Iraqi election. The shrine is one of the holiest sites for Shiites and attracts pilgrims every month.

• December 15 Assam: Four explosions in insurgent Assam province injured twelve civilians and police officers.

• December 16 IRAQ: The deputy head of the Iraqi Communication Ministry, Qassim Mehawi, was shot when gunmen attacked his car while he was on his way to work. Eight of his bodyguards were injured in the attack.

• December 17 Assam: The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) carried out a grenade attack on a hotel in the Paltan Bazaar in Guwahati. There were eleven seriously injured and one person was killed. This is following several days of heightened violence and attacks by ULFA.

• December 19 Karbala: A car bomb exploded near a bus stop in Karbala, killing fourteen and wounding at least fifty. The attack also occurred near the twin shrines of Hussein and Abbas. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani also lives near the site of the blast. It was unclear if he was a target or not. The attack occurs on the same day as a bombing in Najaf. At least fifty people were detained in connection with the Najaf bombing and could have connections to Karbala as well.

• December 19 Najaf: A car bomb exploded in the middle of a funeral procession in Najaf. The bomb was detonated only 300 yards from the Imam Ali Shrine, an important Shiite shrine. Nearby were crowds of people waiting for buses. At least fifty people were killed and ninety-one wounded in this attack. The explosion ruptured water pipes and caused damage to nearby shops. The blast occurred only one day after a bomb attack in Karbala. The attacks may be linked to the upcoming elections. On December 20, sources reported that at least fifty people had been detained in connection with the attack. On December 25, the governor of Najaf announced that the perpetrators of the attack had been arrested.

• December 21 Yangoon: The Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors claimed responsibility for a bomb that exploded outside a restaurant popular with foreign tourists in Myanmar's capital. The group demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners. The bombing injured one worker.

• December 22 Hebron, West Bank: An Israeli man was shot by a Palestinian gunman West of Hebron. He was shot at a location where Israel is currently building a wall to separate the West Bank from Israel. The terrorists escaped. Tel Aviv Ynet reported that it received an anonymous call claiming responsibility from the National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

• December 22 Pattani Province: Two teachers were shot dead in Pattani Province. This incident and others in the region in recent days, forced all schools in Pattani to close for the day.

• December 23 Latifiyah: A suicide bomber detonated his vehicle during rush hour at a checkpoint in the Al-Latifiyah area. The explosion destroyed five cars, killed five people, and wounded thirteen others. Most of those killed were police and National Guard Members.

• December 24 Baghdad: A fuel tanker exploded in the al-Mansur district of Baghdad, near the Libyan and Jordanian embassies. Several other embassies and government buildings, including the homes of Sunni dignitary Adnan Pachachi and Shiite party leader Ahmed Chalabi, are also located in the area. The fuel tanker was tied with explosives and driven by a suicide bomber. The explosion damaged nearby buildings and killed at least nine people, including guards at the Libyan embassy. At least nineteen people were injured in the attack.

• December 25 Bannu, NWFP: The Haroon Spices Shop in Bannu (Frontier Province) was attacked when a bomb went off. Other shops in the Mandan Gate Bazaar were also damaged. The shop owner, Haroon, died and eight were taken to the hospital. One died on the way. Haroon was the nephew of Abdul Razzaq Mujaddadi, Member Provincial Assembly.

• December 28 Arauca: A bomb exploded in the entrance to the government offices in downtown Arauca in an alleged attack on Arauca Governor Julio Enrique Acosta Bernal. The governor passed through the entrance ten minutes before the explosion took place. The bomb was composed of 20 kilos of R-1, and caused severe material damage, but no one was injured. Authorities believe either the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) or the National Liberation Army (ELN) were responsible for the attack.

• December 28 Tikrit: At least twenty-nine people were killed and eighteen wounded, a large number of them Iraqi police, when a powerful bomb exploded in a house that police were raiding. After receiving an anonymous call about a militant hideout, police were on their way to raid this hideout in the Ghazaliya neighborhood. When they were about to enter the house a large explosion occurred. Officials believe the attack was a setup/booby-trap arranged by insurgents. As many as eight surrounding houses were destroyed during the attack. Gunmen attacked a police station in Tikrit, killing twelve police officers. No further information is available.

• December 29 Samarra: A suicide bomber detonated his bomb in the center of Samarra. Ten people were wounded in the attack. The target of the blast was not stated in the report.

• December 29 Riyadh: A bomb exploded at a center for recruiting emergency troops in Riyadh. The bomb was detonated by a suicide bomber who tried to drive his bomb into the recruiting center. Two security personnel and two bystanders were injured in the attack. This was the second of two bombings, 30 minutes apart on this same night within 5 miles of each other. The attacks come shortly after Saudi security forces were involved in a shootout during a raid of an area where a terror suspect had been killed the night before. Saudi forces carried out raids following the attacks, killing seven militants that they believe were involved. Those involved were members of several radical groups. On January 4, sources reported that a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, claimed responsibility for the blasts, claiming that the targets were the Interior Minister, Nayef bin Abdel Aziz al Saud, and his son.

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