Incident Summary:
09/26/2010: On Sunday, in Chawkay, Konar, Afghanistan, unidentified armed insurgents kidnapped a British woman, Linda Norgrove, and three of her Afghan colleagues employed by the United States aid group Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI). They were travelling from Asadabad to Jalalabad when they were kidnapped. The three Afghan colleagues were later released on an unspecified date. According to sources, the colleagues were released while Norgrove remained hostage. On 10/08/2010, during an attempted rescue mission by US forces, the British woman was killed. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but an Afghan security official claimed that local Taliban insurgents led by a man called Mullah Basir and an associate called Qari Ruhullah were responsible for the kidnapping. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihollah Mojahed, denied militants' involvement in the abduction of the British woman and her three Afghan colleagues.
Overview
GTD ID:
201009260002
When:
2010-09-26
Country:
Afghanistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Kunar
City:
Chawkay
Location Details:
The attack took place in Chawkay, Konar, Afghanistan.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: NGO |
Name of Entity |
Development Alternatives Inc |
Specific Description |
A British female aid employee, Linda Norgrove, |
Nationality of Target |
Great Britain |
Target Type: NGO |
Name of Entity |
Development Alternatives Inc |
Specific Description |
Three Afghan aid employees were also targeted. |
Nationality of Target |
Afghanistan |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
4 |
US Hostages |
0 |
Days of Kidnapping |
15 |
Outcome |
Combination |
Property Damage |
Unknown |
Extent of Property Damage |
Unknown |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Unknown |
|
Weapon Details |
Unknown weapons were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
The three Afghan colleagues were released on an unspecified date; while the British woman, Linda Norgrove, was killed during an attempted rescue by United States forces on 10/08/2010. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihollah Mojahed, denied militants' involvement in the abduction of the British woman and her three Afghan colleagues. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Taliban (suspected) |
No |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
1 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
1 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
0 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Press TV, "Four Kidnapped in East Afghanistan," http://www.presstv.ir/detail/144078.html (September 26, 2010). |
James Meikle, "Kidnapped Briton's Group Maintains Afghan Aid as Search Continues," Guardian, September 28, 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/28/kidnapped-briton-afghan-projects-search. |
Jane’s Intelligence, “Militants Kill British Hostage during Rescue Attempt in Afghanistan's Konar,” Terrorism Watch Report, BBC Monitoring, Reuters, August 5, 2010. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties