Incident Summary:

10/02/2003: An explosive device mailed to the office of the regional government of Sardinia in Rome, Italy failed to detonate upon being opened. Italian officials suspected that members of the Red Brigades (BR) were behind the attack, although no claim of responsibility was made.

GTD ID:
200310020002

When:
2003-10-02

Country:
Italy

Region:
Western Europe

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Lazio

City:
Rome

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Bombing/Explosion
Successful Attack? (more) No
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Government (General)
Name of Entity Sardinian Regional Government
Specific Description Office of the Regional Government of Sardinia in Rome
Nationality of Target Italy
Additional Information
Hostages No
Ransom No
Property Damage No
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Explosives Letter Bomb
Weapon Details
The package contained a video tape that housed the explosive device.
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?Yes
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Additional Information This was one of three related attacks (cf. 200310020001-03). Italian investigators said the packages were all similar in design and had been sent from Sardinia. Each device used video tapes to conceal a basic explosive device.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Red Brigades Fighting Communist Party (BR-PCC) (suspected) No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 0 Fatalities / 0 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 0
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured 0
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
“Three Parcel Bombs Delivered, One to Labour Ministry,” ANSA English Media Service, October 2, 2003.
“Red Brigades behind Rome letter bomb: Italian interior minister,” Agence France Presse, October 2, 2003.
“Three parcel bombs delivered, one to Italian Labor Ministry,” Xinhua General News Service, October 2, 2003.