Incident Summary:
06/23/2008: On Monday, Pakistani Tehrik-e-Taliban militants under command of Baitullah Mehsud captured Jandola town at the entrance to the South Waziristan tribal province in Pakistan. The attack resulted in the deaths of 12 people, including four tribesmen and two militants, and the injury of ten others. Afterwards, Mehsud's fighters took 30 pro-government peace committee tribesmen members hostage. On 06/25/2008 early in the morning, the bullet-riddled bodies of the abducted men, some of whom instead had their throats slit, were found in the Kariwam area of Jandola, Waziristan tribal province, Pakistan. A spokesman for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for killing the 22 tribesmen and said they would soon decide the fate of the other eight hostages.
Overview
GTD ID:
200806230009
When:
2008-06-23
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
City:
Jandola
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Other |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Thirty pro-government peace committee tribesmen were also targeted. |
Nationality of Target |
Pakistan |
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
The tribal town of Jandola and its residents |
Nationality of Target |
Pakistan |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
30 |
US Hostages |
0 |
Days of Kidnapping |
2 |
Outcome |
Hostage(s) killed (not during rescue attempt) |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Unknown |
Extent of Property Damage |
Unknown |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Melee |
Knife or Other Sharp Object |
Weapon Details |
Unknown firearms were used in the firearm and hostage taking attack while unknown firearms and unknown sharp weapons were used to kill 28 of the hostages. |
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 |
Twenty-two of the original 30 hostages were killed. The status of the remaining eight hostages is unknown. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
12 Fatalities / 10 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
12 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
2 |
Total Number of Injured |
10 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Alamgir Bitani, "Pakistani Taliban Seize Tribal Town, Six Killed," Reuters, June 24, 2008. |
Press TV, "The Militants Control Swathes of Pakistan's Tribal Areas," June 25, 2008, http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=61419§ionid=351020401. |
Daily Mail, "Taliban Slay 22 as Bloodshed Spreads Across Pakistan Border," Daily Mail, June 25, 2008. |
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