Incident Summary:
11/08/2008: On Saturday, Taliban militants killed two Afghan civilians, identified as Muhammad Saeed Khan Mandozi and Alam Khan Sabarai, whom were kidnapped and accused of spying for US-led forces in North Waziristan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan. The bullet-riddled bodies of the victims were thrown on main Ghulam Khan-Khost road near Danday Darpakhel village, about 10 kilometres north of Miramshah on 11/8/2008. A note left on their bodies in Pashto language said the victims were kidnapped from Khost earlier in the week and had confessed to being spies, said a local administration official. Also written on the notes, which were pinned to each of the bodies, was "See the fate of this man. He was an Amercian spy". According to The News, Tribal sources by telephone said that the two Afghan nationals were taken into custody from Miranshah, North Waziristan a few days ago. "During interrogation, both of them confessed to have been sent by the US and Afghan military officials with a task of spying for them on Taleban militants in North Waziristan. They admitted of being heavily paid by the US military and their job was to assist drones to fire missiles on accurate targets," a militant commander told this scribe by telephone from Miramshah, but wished not to be named. He claimed both of them admitted to have passed on information to the US forces in Afghanistan that later resulted in air strikes on various villages in Miramshah and Mirali by pilot-less spy planes. The militants claimed they had recovered satellite phones, Afghan and Pakistani currency and some devices used in marking targets for drones.
Overview
GTD ID:
200811080002
When:
2008-11-08
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
City:
Near Miran Shah
Location Details:
The victims were kidnapped from Miranshah and were later killed and their bodies were dumped near the Danday Darpakhel village on the main Ghulam Khan-Khost Road, about 10 kilometres north of Miranshah.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Two Afghan civilians |
Nationality of Target |
Afghanistan |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
2 |
US Hostages |
0 |
Days of Kidnapping |
10 |
Outcome |
Hostage(s) killed (not during rescue attempt) |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Weapon Details |
Unknown firearms 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 available sources provide discrepancies in the manner of the killing of the Afghan civilians and the location of the original hostage taking. Three of the sources detail that the victims were bullet-ridden and one other source details that the victims were beheaded. Also one source details that the victims were kidnapped from Khost, Afghanistan and another source details that victims were kidnapped from Miranshah, Pakistan. The sources also detail more than one form of claim that was made by the Taliban. Two sources detail that a note was left by the bodies saying the men were spies for US forces and another source details that a claim was made by telephone claiming they were spies and were being paid to give information that would direct drones to fire missiles on accurate targets. One source also details that the victims confessed their crime on videotape. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Taliban |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Note left at scene) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
2 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
2 |
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
National Counterterrorism Center, "Two Civilians Kidnapped and Killed by Suspected TTP in North Waziristan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan", Worldwide Incidents Tracking System, November 20, 2009. |
Associated Press Worldstream, "Taliban Militants Kill Two 'Spies' in Pakistan: Officials", Associated Press, November 08, 2008. |
Associated Press/ AP (United States), "Militants In Pakistan KillTwo Alleged US Spies", Associated Press, November 08, 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