Incident Summary:
10/25/2000: Suspected Islamic fundamentalists attacked a family celebrating the birth of a baby in their home in Bati district, on the outskirts of Madea, Algeria. After killing the baby with an axe, the assailants shot dead seven members of the family, and injured at least three more. The injured victims died in the days following the attack, bringing the death toll to ten victims. Before the assailants fled the house, they rigged two improvised explosive devices (IED's), which detonated after they left. Specific motive is unknown.
Overview
GTD ID:
200010250003
When:
2000-10-25
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Medea
City:
Near Medea
Location Details:
Bati district on the outskirts of Medea, 90 km south of Algiers
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
Civilians |
Specific Description |
A family in their home in Bati district |
Nationality of Target |
Algeria |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Unknown |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Automatic Weapon |
Explosives |
Unknown Explosive Type |
Melee |
Knife or Other Sharp Object |
Weapon Details |
The assailants were armed with axes, machine guns, and homemade bombs |
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 |
Source vary in their description of events. While one source states that the assailants set off explosives outside of the house first, then shot family members as they fled, two sources state the assailants entered the house and killed the victims inside. Sources also vary in death toll; however, the most recent source reports that three injured victims died after the incident, explaining the difference in fatalities. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Algerian Islamic Extremists (suspected) |
No |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
6 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
10 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
10 |
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
"Seven killed, several wounded in attack in Algeria," Agence France-Presse, October 27, 2000. |
"Algerian rebels kill 13 civilians, wound 14 troops," Reuters, October 28, 2000. |
"Toll from Medea massacre rises to 13 dead," Liberte, October 28, 2000. |
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