# The age of terror The major terrorist attacks of modern history, worldwide, and the world they made. *This story part of: Military and security* *September 11 and the World Trade Center led to this story* ## 16 September 1920 — Wall Street bombing A horse-drawn wagon packed with explosives detonated outside the offices of J.P. Morgan on Wall Street, killing 38 people. The attack was widely blamed on Italian anarchists but was never solved. > "In the weeks ahead, J. P. Morgan and Company muddled through, with canvas sheets draped over its windows and a shaky dome, propped up by scaffolding, above the central banking floor." > — The House of Morgan - An American Banking Dynasty and the ## 22 July 1946 — King David Hotel bombing The Zionist paramilitary group Irgun bombed the King David Hotel, which housed the British Mandate administration, killing 91 people. ## 1972 — Munich Olympics massacre Palestinian gunmen murdered eleven Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. One organizer, Ali Hassan Salameh, later became a well-placed CIA source before Israel assassinated him. > "henchman in the murder of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics." > — Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA ## 5 September 1972 — Munich Olympics massacre The Palestinian group Black September took Israeli athletes hostage at the Munich Olympics. Eleven Israelis and one police officer died, prompting the creation of specialized counterterrorism units across Europe. ## 21 November 1974 — Birmingham pub bombings Bombs planted in two Birmingham pubs killed 21 people and injured around 180. The attack was attributed to the Provisional IRA and led to a notorious miscarriage of justice. ## 20 November 1979 — Grand Mosque seizure in Mecca Armed extremists led by Juhayman al-Otaybi seized the Grand Mosque in Mecca and held it for two weeks. The siege and its recapture left more than 100 people dead and pushed Saudi Arabia toward stricter religious policies. ## 2 August 1980 — Bologna railway station bombing A bomb exploded in the waiting room of Bologna Central station, killing 85 people and injuring more than 200. Italian courts attributed the attack to neo-fascist militants. ## 23 October 1983 — Beirut barracks bombings Suicide truck bombs struck the barracks of US and French peacekeeping forces in Beirut, killing 241 American and 58 French service members. The attack led the multinational force to withdraw from Lebanon. ## 23 June 1985 — Bombing of Air India Flight 182 A bomb planted by Sikh separatists based in Canada destroyed Air India Flight 182 over the Atlantic, killing all 329 people on board. It was the deadliest aviation terrorist attack before 2001. ## 21 December 1988 — Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 A bomb destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, killing all 259 people on board and 11 on the ground, 270 in total. The attack was blamed on Libyan agents and led to years of international sanctions. ## 27 November 1989 — Bombing of Avianca Flight 203 A bomb planted by the Medellin drug cartel destroyed Avianca Flight 203 shortly after takeoff, killing all 110 people on board. The attack targeted a presidential candidate who was not aboard. ## 6 December 1989 — DAS building bombing in Bogota The Medellin cartel detonated a bus bomb outside the headquarters of Colombia's security police, killing about 63 people and injuring hundreds during Pablo Escobar's war on the state. ## 17 March 1992 — Israeli embassy bombing in Buenos Aires A suicide bombing destroyed the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 people. Islamic Jihad, linked to Hezbollah, claimed responsibility. ## 26 February 1993 — 1993 World Trade Center bombing Islamist militants detonated a truck bomb in the parking garage beneath the World Trade Center, killing 6 people and injuring more than a thousand. It was an early sign of the threat that culminated in 2001. ## 12 March 1993 — 1993 Bombay bombings A series of 12 coordinated bombings struck Bombay, including the stock exchange, killing 257 people and injuring more than 1,400. The attacks were organized by the crime figure Dawood Ibrahim. ## 18 July 1994 — AMIA Jewish center bombing A car bomb destroyed the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, killing 85 people. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentine history and was linked to Hezbollah and Iran. ## 1995 — Oklahoma City bombing A bomb destroyed the federal headquarters in Oklahoma City, killing 169 people. It was the deadliest attack on American territory since Pearl Harbor. > "Not the April 1995 bombing of the federal headquarters in Oklahoma City, which killed 169 people, the deadliest attack on American territory since Pearl Harbor." > — Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA ## 20 March 1995 — Tokyo subway sarin attack The Aum Shinrikyo cult released sarin nerve agent on the Tokyo subway during rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring thousands. It was the most serious chemical terrorist attack in a major city. ## 19 April 1995 — Oklahoma City bombing Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people. It was the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in United States history. ## 25 June 1996 — Khobar Towers bombing A truck bomb destroyed part of the Khobar Towers housing complex used by US forces, killing 19 American Air Force personnel and wounding hundreds. ## 27 July 1996 — Atlanta Olympic Park bombing A pipe bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park during the Atlanta Summer Games, killing 2 people and injuring more than 100. The attacker was a domestic anti-government extremist. ## 17 November 1997 — Luxor massacre Gunmen from al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya attacked tourists at the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor, killing 62 people, most of them foreign visitors. The attack badly damaged Egypt's tourism industry. ## 7 August 1998 — 1998 US embassy bombing in Dar es Salaam Minutes after the Nairobi attack, a coordinated Al-Qaeda truck bomb struck the United States embassy in Dar es Salaam, killing 11 people and injuring dozens. ## 7 August 1998 — 1998 US embassy bombing in Nairobi Al-Qaeda detonated a truck bomb outside the United States embassy in Nairobi, killing about 213 people and wounding thousands. The attack brought Osama bin Laden to global prominence and reshaped US counterterrorism policy. *Source: Nairobi County: History* *Source: Nairobi: National Capital and Regional Hub* *Source: Kenya Railways: History* *Source: The Nairobi General Strike 1950: From Protest to Insurgency* *Source: Harry Thuku* *Source: Transitional Justice* ## 15 August 1998 — Omagh bombing A car bomb planted by the Real IRA killed 29 people in the town of Omagh. It was the deadliest single attack of the Northern Ireland conflict and came months after the Good Friday Agreement. ## c. 9 September 1999 — Moscow apartment bombings A series of apartment block bombings across Russia killed about 300 people. The attacks were blamed on Chechen militants and helped trigger the Second Chechen War. ## 13 December 2001 — Indian Parliament attack Gunmen attacked the Indian Parliament complex in New Delhi, killing nine people before being shot dead. The attack brought India and Pakistan close to war. ## 27 March 2002 — Netanya Passover massacre A Hamas suicide bomber attacked a Passover meal at a hotel in Netanya, killing 30 people. The attack prompted Israel's Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank. ## 12 October 2002 — Bali bombings Bombs at nightspots in Kuta, Bali, killed 202 people, many of them foreign tourists. The attack by Jemaah Islamiyah was the deadliest in Indonesian history. ## 23 October 2002 — Moscow theatre hostage crisis Chechen militants seized the Dubrovka theatre in Moscow and held hundreds hostage. Around 130 hostages died, most from the gas used by Russian forces during the rescue. ## 12 May 2003 — Riyadh compound bombings Al-Qaeda suicide bombers struck residential compounds housing foreigners in Riyadh, killing 39 people. The attacks pushed Saudi Arabia to intensify its campaign against Al-Qaeda. ## 5 August 2003 — Jakarta Marriott Hotel bombing A suicide car bomb struck the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, killing 12 people. The attack was attributed to the militant group Jemaah Islamiyah. ## 11 March 2004 — Madrid train bombings Coordinated bombs on four commuter trains in Madrid killed 193 people and wounded around 2,000. The attack, linked to Islamist militants, came days before a general election and reshaped Spanish politics. ## 1 September 2004 — Beslan school siege Militants seized a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, taking more than 1,100 hostages. The three-day siege ended in a chaotic battle that killed 334 people, including 186 children. > "ON APRIL 7, 2004, the Mid-Hudson Highland Post carried an article about an appearance that John Gatto made at Highland High School." > — Dumbing Us Down, p. 135-142 ## 14 February 2005 — Assassination of Rafic Hariri A large bomb killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and 21 others in Beirut. The killing sparked the Cedar Revolution and the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon. ## 7 July 2005 — 7 July London bombings Four suicide bombers attacked London's transport network during the morning rush hour, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700. It was the deadliest terrorist attack on British soil. ## 9 November 2005 — Amman hotel bombings Suicide bombers from Al-Qaeda in Iraq struck three hotels in Amman, killing 60 people, most of them Jordanians at a wedding reception. ## 11 July 2006 — Mumbai train bombings A series of bombs exploded on Mumbai's suburban trains during the evening rush hour, killing about 189 people and injuring more than 800. ## 14 August 2007 — Qahtaniyah bombings Four coordinated suicide truck bombs struck Yazidi towns in northern Iraq, killing about 796 people. It was the deadliest car bomb attack of the Iraq War. ## 26 November 2008 — 2008 Mumbai attacks Ten gunmen from the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba attacked hotels, a railway station and other sites across Mumbai over three days, killing 175 people. The attack strained relations between India and Pakistan. ## 11 July 2010 — Kampala World Cup bombings Al-Shabaab suicide bombers struck two venues where crowds were watching the football World Cup final in Kampala, killing 74 people. ## 24 January 2011 — Domodedovo airport bombing A suicide bomber attacked the international arrivals hall at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, killing 37 people. A North Caucasus militant group claimed responsibility. ## 22 July 2011 — Norway attacks by Anders Breivik A far-right extremist bombed government buildings in Oslo and then shot dead participants at a youth camp on Utoya island, killing 77 people in total. ## 16 January 2013 — In Amenas hostage crisis Militants linked to Al-Qaeda seized the Tigantourine gas facility near In Amenas and took foreign workers hostage. About 40 hostages died before Algerian forces retook the site. ## 15 April 2013 — Boston Marathon bombing Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing 3 people and wounding hundreds. The manhunt for the two brothers responsible shut down much of the city. ## 21 September 2013 — Westgate shopping mall attack Gunmen from the Somali group Al-Shabaab stormed the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi and held it for four days, killing 67 people. *Source: Press Statement on Terrorist attack* ## 1 March 2014 — Kunming railway station attack A group of knife-wielding attackers assaulted travelers at Kunming railway station, killing 31 people and wounding more than 140. Authorities blamed Xinjiang separatists. ## 14 April 2014 — Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping Boko Haram militants abducted 276 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State. Many were held for years and some remain missing, drawing worldwide attention through the Bring Back Our Girls campaign. ## 12 June 2014 — Camp Speicher massacre Islamic State fighters captured and killed around 1,700 mostly Shia Iraqi military cadets near Camp Speicher in Tikrit. It was one of the deadliest mass killings of the Iraqi conflict. ## 16 December 2014 — Peshawar school massacre Pakistani Taliban gunmen stormed an army-run school in Peshawar and killed about 149 people, most of them children. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Pakistan's history and reshaped its counterterrorism policy. ## c. 3 January 2015 — Baga massacre Boko Haram overran the town of Baga and nearby villages in northeastern Nigeria. Estimates of the dead ranged from about 150 to as many as 2,000 people. ## 7 January 2015 — Charlie Hebdo shooting Two gunmen attacked the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing 12 people. The attack, claimed by Al-Qaeda in Yemen, sparked worldwide debate over free expression. ## 18 March 2015 — Bardo National Museum attack Gunmen attacked the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, killing 22 people, most of them foreign tourists. ## 20 March 2015 — Sana'a mosque bombings Suicide bombers attacked two mosques used by Houthi worshippers in Sana'a, killing about 142 people. The Islamic State group claimed the attack. ## 2 April 2015 — Garissa University College attack Al-Shabaab gunmen attacked Garissa University College, separating Christian students from Muslims and killing 148 people, most of them students. *Source: Statement by the President of the Republic of Kenya on the recent Garissa University College terrorist attack* ## 26 June 2015 — Sousse beach attack A gunman opened fire on a tourist beach and hotel near Sousse, killing 38 people, most of them British holidaymakers. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility. ## 17 August 2015 — Bangkok Erawan Shrine bombing A bomb exploded at the Erawan Shrine, a popular tourist site in central Bangkok, killing 20 people, most of them foreign visitors. ## 10 October 2015 — Ankara railway station bombings Two suicide bombers linked to the Islamic State attacked a peace rally outside Ankara's main railway station, killing 109 people. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in modern Turkish history. ## 13 November 2015 — November 2015 Paris attacks Islamic State attackers struck the Bataclan concert hall, restaurants and a stadium across Paris, killing 130 people. It was the deadliest attack in France since the Second World War. ## 22 March 2016 — Brussels bombings Islamic State suicide bombers attacked Brussels Airport and a metro station, killing 32 people. The bombers were linked to the same network behind the November 2015 Paris attacks. ## 12 June 2016 — Pulse nightclub shooting A gunman who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State attacked the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people. It was one of the deadliest mass shootings in United States history. ## 1 July 2016 — Holey Artisan Bakery attack Islamist militants took hostages and killed 22 people, most of them foreigners, at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka. The Islamic State group claimed the attack. ## 3 July 2016 — Karrada bombing in Baghdad An Islamic State suicide truck bomb struck a busy shopping district in Karrada during Ramadan, killing more than 340 people. It was one of the deadliest single bombings in Baghdad since 2003. ## 14 July 2016 — Nice truck attack A man drove a cargo truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, killing 86 people. The Islamic State group claimed the attack. ## 19 December 2016 — Berlin Christmas market attack A man drove a truck into a Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, killing 13 people. The Islamic State group claimed the attack. ## 1 January 2017 — Reina nightclub attack A gunman attacked the Reina nightclub in Istanbul during New Year celebrations, killing 39 people. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility. ## 3 April 2017 — Saint Petersburg metro bombing A suicide bomber detonated a device on a metro train in Saint Petersburg, killing 15 people. The bomber was linked to Central Asian militant networks. ## 22 May 2017 — Manchester Arena bombing A suicide bomber attacked crowds leaving an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people, many of them children and teenagers. ## 31 May 2017 — May 2017 Kabul bombing A truck bomb detonated in the fortified diplomatic quarter of Kabul during the morning rush hour, killing more than 150 people and wounding over 400. It was the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital. ## 14 October 2017 — 14 October 2017 Mogadishu bombings A truck bomb detonated in the Hodan district of Mogadishu, killing around 587 people in the deadliest attack in Somalia's history. It was widely attributed to Al-Shabaab. ## 24 November 2017 — Al-Rawda mosque attack Militants attacked the al-Rawda mosque in North Sinai during Friday prayers with bombs and gunfire, killing 311 people. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in modern Egyptian history. ## 15 January 2019 — DusitD2 complex attack in Nairobi Al-Shabaab attackers stormed the DusitD2 hotel and office complex on Riverside Drive in Nairobi, killing 21 people during a siege lasting nearly 20 hours. *Source: Nairobi County: History* *Source: Nairobi: National Capital and Regional Hub* *Source: Kenya Railways: History* *Source: The Nairobi General Strike 1950: From Protest to Insurgency* *Source: Harry Thuku* *Source: Transitional Justice* ## 14 February 2019 — Pulwama attack A suicide bomber from the group Jaish-e-Mohammed struck a convoy of Indian paramilitary police in Pulwama, Kashmir, killing 40 personnel. The attack triggered air strikes between India and Pakistan. ## 15 March 2019 — Christchurch mosque shootings A white supremacist gunman attacked two mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers, killing 51 people and streaming the attack online. It was the deadliest shooting in New Zealand's history. ## 21 April 2019 — Sri Lanka Easter bombings Coordinated suicide bombings struck churches and hotels across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing 269 people. A local Islamist group linked to the Islamic State carried out the attacks. ## 7 October 2023 — October 7 attacks on Israel Hamas-led fighters broke through the Gaza border and attacked Israeli communities, military posts and a music festival, killing about 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The attack triggered the war in Gaza. ## 3 January 2024 — Kerman bombings Two bombs struck a memorial ceremony for Qasem Soleimani in Kerman, killing about 95 people. Islamic State Khorasan claimed the attack, the deadliest in Iran in decades. ## 22 March 2024 — Crocus City Hall attack Gunmen attacked a concert at Crocus City Hall near Moscow and set the building ablaze, killing about 145 people. Islamic State Khorasan claimed the attack.