Incident Summary:
04/11/2011: On Monday afternoon at 1500, 13 people were killed and 161 were wounded when a radio-controlled bomb exploded at a metro station in Minsk, Belarus. The bomb was the equivalent of between five and seven kilograms of TNT and was filled with shrapnel and metal balls that measured about one centimeter in diameter. It was hidden underneath a bench on the platform of the Oktyabrsakaya metro station. The bombing left a crater in the platform with a diameter of 80 centimeters. No group claimed responsibility for the explosion. Viktor Dvorakovskiy, a 23-year-old man on the Russian most wanted terrorist list, is suspected of being involved in the bombing. Interpol announce on 05/13/2011, that the finger prints found at the scene of the 2011 subway bombing match those of the suspect from the 2008 Minsk bombing as well.
Overview
GTD ID:
201104110001
When:
2011-04-11
Country:
Belarus
Region:
Eastern Europe
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Minsk
City:
Minsk
Location Details:
The attack occurred at the underground Oktyabrsakaya metro station in Minsk, Belarus.
What
Attack Information
| Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
| Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
| Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
|---|
| Name of Entity |
|
| Specific Description |
Civilians were targeted in the attack. |
| Nationality of Target |
Belarus |
| Target Type: Transportation |
|---|
| Name of Entity |
|
| Specific Description |
An underground metro station was targeted in the attack. |
| Nationality of Target |
Belarus |
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 |
|---|
| A bomb the equivalent of between five and seven kilograms of TNT and filled with shrapnel and metal balls 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 |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
| Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
| Unknown |
No |
Perpetrator Statistics
| Number of Perpetrators |
5 |
| Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
| Total Number of Casualties |
13 Fatalities / 161 Injured |
| Total Number of Fatalities |
13 |
| Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
| Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
| Total Number of Injured |
161 |
| Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
| Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
| Interfax, "Belarusian KGB Insists Minsk Subway Bomb Was Radio-Controlled (Part Two)," World News Connection, Interfax, April 12, 2011. |
| Xinhua News Agency, "Death Toll from Metro Bombing in Minsk Rises to 13," Xinhua News Agency, April 16, 2011, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-04/16/c_13831272.htm. |
| Ekho Moskvy Radio, "Alleged Russian Wahhabi Suspected of Terrorist Attack in Minsk," World News Connection, Ekho Moskvy Radio, April 18, 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
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