Incident Summary:
03/14/2011: On Monday evening around 1850, 10 feet from the main gate to Rajiv Bhaban in Guwahati, Assam, India, suspected United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants detonated an improvised explosive device near the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) headquarters, damaging a portion of the building. Two congress leaders, identified as congress spokesperson Medhi Alam Bora and party general secretary Ranjan Borah, were among the four people injured in the attack. Earlier, police had reported that a grenade was used in the attack; however, police later confirmed that a bomb was planted inside the party headquarters in a garbage bin. Immediately after the blast, ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua claimed responsibility for the attack. The specific motive for the attack is unknown; however, ULFA militants sent an email on 02/19/2011 warning the Congress of dire consequences ahead of the elections for the alleged divisive tactics adopted by the party to divide the ULFA.
Overview
GTD ID:
201103140006
When:
2011-03-14
Country:
India
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Assam
City:
Guwahati
Location Details:
The attack took place 10 feet from the main gate to Rajiv Bhaban near the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) headquarters in Guwahati.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Government (General) |
Name of Entity |
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee |
Specific Description |
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) headquarters was targeted in the attack. |
Nationality of Target |
India |
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 |
Other Explosive Type |
Weapon Details |
An improvised explosive device was 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 |
United Liberation Front of Assam commander-in-chief Paresh Barua claimed responsibility for the attack. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 4 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
4 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Times of India, "Blast Rocks Congress Office in Guwahati," Times of India, March 14, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Blast-rocks-Congress-office-in-Guwahati/articleshow/7702094.cms. |
Dawn, “India Grenade Blast Hurts Three at Congress Office,” Agence France Presse, March 14, 2011, http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/14/india-grenade-blast-hurts-three-at-congress-office.html. |
Hindustan Times, “Four Leaders Injured in Bomb Attack on Congress Office,” LexisNexis Academic, Hindustan Times, March 15, 2011. |
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