Incident Summary:
11/20/2010: On Saturday morning at dawn, in the rural area of Petrólea outside Tibu, Norte de Santander, Colombia, in one of four related attacks targeting public infrastructure, assailants detonated a vehicle borne improvised explosive device containing an unspecified amount of dynamite on the Petrólea bridge between Cucuta and Tibu. The attack, which was one of three similar attacks targeting bridges, significantly damaged the bridge but resulted in no casualties. No group claimed responsibility but authorities suspected the 33rd Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was responsible for the attack.
Overview
GTD ID:
201011200012
When:
2010-11-20
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Norte de Santander
City:
Near Tibu
Location Details:
The attack took place in the rural area of Petrólea at the Petrólea bridge that connects Cucuta to Tibu, Norte Santander, Colombia.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Transportation |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
The Petrólea bridge |
Nationality of Target |
Colombia |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Vehicle |
Weapon Details |
A vehicle borne improvised explosive device containing an unspecified amount of dynamite was used in the 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 four related attacks (cf. 201011200011, 201011200013 and 201011200014). The summary of this incident was partially based on articles originally written in Spanish. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
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
Terra, "Rebels Dynamite Bridges and Electricity Tower on Colombia-Venezuela Border," Agence France Presse, http://www.terra.com.mx/noticias/articulo/996878/Rebeldes+dinamitan+puentes+y+torre+de+energia+en+frontera+colombo+venezolana.htm?ref=1 (November 20, 2010). |
Colombia Reports, Linda Azodi, "FARC Car Bomb Hits North-East Colombia," http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/13049-farc-bomb-town.html (November 23, 2010). |
El Pais, "Civilian Killed in FARC Attack in Norte de Santander," El Pais, November 21, 2010, http://www.elpais.com.co/elpais/judicial/noticias/civil-muerto-en-ataque-farc-en-norte-santander. |
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