Incident Summary:
03/14/2011: On Monday evening, in remote Ultapani forest in Kokrajhar, Assam, India, unidentified militants ambushed a convoy of Border Security Force (BSF) personnel with automatic weapons, injuring eight BSF troopers. At least eight other BSF personnel, identified as Bikoy Kumar, S K Sharma, Arabinda Dere, Bolaram Lamba, Santa Ramthree, Naresh Kumar, Kuber Bora, and Hira Singh, were killed in the attack. No damages were reported and no group claimed responsibility, but it was suspected that National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants were responsible.
Overview
GTD ID:
201103140023
When:
2011-03-14
Country:
India
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Assam
City:
Kokrajhar district
Location Details:
The attack took place in the remote Ultapani forest in Kokrajhar, Assam, India.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Military |
Name of Entity |
Indian Border Security Force |
Specific Description |
A convoy of Border Security Force (BSF) personnel |
Nationality of Target |
India |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Automatic Weapon |
Weapon Details |
Automatic 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 most recent available sources listed the date for this attack from 03/14/2011 to 03/15/2011, so the majority date of attack reported has been used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
8 Fatalities / 8 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
8 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
8 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Times of India, "Eight BSF Jawans Killed in Ambush by Anti-Talk Faction of NDFB," Times of India, March 15, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/8-BSF-jawans-killed-in-ambush-by-anti-talk-faction-of-NDFB/articleshow/7709052.cms. |
Jane’s Intelligence, “Suspected NDFB Militants Kill Five Soldiers in India's Assam,” Terrorism Watch Report, BBC, March 15, 2011. |
Asian News International, "Eight BSF Personnel Killed in Assam Ambush," LexisNexis Academic, Asian News International, March 16, 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