Incident Summary:
08/14/2011: On Sunday at 1200 noon, in Charikar, Parvan, Afghanistan, Taliban militants attacked the compound of Parvan governor Abdul Basir Salangi with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) set off by a suicide bomber and several other improvised explosive devices. The attack was an attempted assassination of the governor and the other members of his security team who were meeting at the compound at the time of the attack. The other members included his police chief, intelligence director, a local army commander and at least two North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) advisers who may have been American. The attack began when one of the suspected Taliban militants set off a VBIED consisting of a Toyota Corolla that the militants had used to arrive at the site. Five other militants wearing suicide vests and carrying automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades were then able to enter the compound through the hole the blast had made in the compound wall. At least two more improvised explosive devices were detonated within the compound. An hour long gun battle ensued between the five militants and the Afghan Security Forces within the compound and all five of the remaining militants were shot and killed. The last militant was shot by the governor himself. Sixteen Afghan government workers and six policemen were killed during the attack, and another 33 people were injured. Three explosions caused significant amounts of damage to the outer wall of the compound, part of the governor's offices and several cars within the compound walls. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack through a telephone call later in the day. This was the second assassination attempt made on the governor in the same month.
Overview
GTD ID:
201108140006
When:
2011-08-14
Country:
Afghanistan
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Parwan
City:
Chaharikar
Location Details:
The attack occurred at the compound of the provincial governor in Charikar, Parvan, Afghanistan.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Assassination |
Successful Attack? () |
No |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Government (General) |
Name of Entity |
Parvan Provincial Government |
Specific Description |
Provincial governor Abdul Basir Salangi and the other security officials meeting at his compound |
Nationality of Target |
Afghanistan |
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 |
Explosives |
Suicide (carried bodily by human being) |
Explosives |
Projectile (rockets, mortars, RPGs, etc.) |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Weapon Details |
A vehicle borne improvised explosive device, suicide vests, and unknown firearms were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | Yes |
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 |
Taliban |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Call (post-incident)) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
28 Fatalities / 33 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
28 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
6 |
Total Number of Injured |
33 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Reuters, "Security Developments in Afghanistan, Aug 14," Reuters, August 14, 2011, http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/security-developments-in-afghanistan-aug-14/. |
Dar Yasin, "Twenty Two Dead in Attack on Afghan Governor's Compound," USA Today, August 14, 2011, http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/afghanistan/2011-08-14-afghan-governor-compound-attack_n.htm. |
Guardian, "Afghan Governor Shoots at Attacker in Taliban Raid on Government Compound," Guardian, August 14, 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/14/afghan-governor-taliban-raid. |
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