Incident Summary:
10/23/2008: On Thursday afternoon at 1310, suspected guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’s (FARC) 51st Front detonated a low-powered home-made improvised explosive device amid a housing complex on 25th Street and 69th Avenue in the Salitre neighborhood near the German Embassy and the Maloca Scientific Center in western Bogotá, Capital District, Colombia. The bombing attack injured three civilians and caused an unknown amount of property damage. This was the first of six serial bombing attacks that took place during a protest march by thousands of civil servants in the capital city of Bogotá. The bombs, which contained less than 500 grams of benclo (sodium benzoate and potassium chlorate) and ammonium nitrate and used timed clocks, were placed near garbage cans in sectors where there are no surveillance cameras. No claim of responsibility was made for the incident, and even though police suspect the FARC as being responsible, several government officials doubt if this was in fact a FARC attack.
Overview
GTD ID:
200810230014
When:
2008-10-23
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Bogota
City:
Bogota
Location Details:
The bombing attack took place amid a housing complex on 25th Street and 69th Avenue in the Salitre neighborhood near the German Embassy and the Maloca Scientific Center in western Bogotá, Capital District, Colombia.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Government (Diplomatic) |
Name of Entity |
German Embassy |
Specific Description |
The German Embassy was believed to be targeted. |
Nationality of Target |
Germany |
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
Maloca Scientific Center |
Specific Description |
The Maloca Scientific Center was also believed to be targeted. |
Nationality of Target |
Greece |
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 |
Explosives |
Other Explosive Type |
Weapon Details |
A low-powered home-made improvised explosive device containing less than 500 grams of benclo (sodium benzoate and potassium chlorate) and ammonium nitrate and a timed clock was used in the bombing attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
This was one of six related attacks (cf. 200810230015, 200810230016, 200810230017, 200810230018 and 200810230019). The summary of this incident was partially based on an article originally written in Spanish. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 3 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
3 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Bogota Caracol Television, "Video Clip: Six Explosions Rock Colombia's Capital Injuring 16 People," World News Connection, Bogota Caracol Television, October 24, 2008. |
El Espectador, "Five Bombs Explode in Bogotá," El Espectador, October 23, 2008. |
Agence France Presse, "Bombs Injure 16 in Bogota During Civil Servant Protest," Lexis Nexis, Agence France Presse, October 23, 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