Bomb Security News: 11/00

Car Bomb Kills Two and Injures 55 in Israel

11/22/00- At approximately 5:20 local time, a car containing an IED exploded while aligned with a passing bus in the northern town of Hadera. The bus had just exited the bus terminal when the device detonated. According to eyewitnesses, the bus was hurled across the street into the front of a bakery. Two people were killed and 55 injured in the attack.

ED. NOTE: As demonstrated in this incident, most roadside proximity bomb attacks against targets in transit are executed less than 50 meters from the vehicle's point of departure or arrival. When possible, pre-departure route sweeping or surveillance of this 50 meter danger area can dramatically aid in reducing these risks. For a detailed survey of the unique tactics used by terrorists in executing roadside bomb attacks and measures for mitigating this type of risk, see Lesson Seven of the Bomb Countermeasures for Security Professionals CD-ROM.

Bomb Targets School Bus in Gaza

11/20/00- Two people were killed and nine injured when a bomb exploded along the route of an Israeli school bus in the Gaza Strip. According to reports, the wounded included at least four children. The two fatalities included a school teacher and a man accompanying the children to school.

Blast Kills One and Injures Eighteen in Colombia

11/18/00- One person was killed and 18 people were reported injured after a bomb mounted on a motorcycle exploded in downtown Puerto Asis. Among those injured were six policemen.

One Injured by Explosion Near Swedish Police Station

11/17/00- A maintenance worker was injured while removing a package abandoned near a police station in Ekeroe, Sweden. The package exploded while being transported in a wheelbarrow. No suspects have been identified in this incident.

Car Bomb Kills British Hospital Worker in Saudi Arabia

11/17/00- Christopher Rodway (a British hospital worker) was killed and his wife injured by a car bomb explosion in Riyadh. Early reports suggest that the device may have been attached to the vehicle and initiated by an anti-disturbance activation system. No suspects have been identified.

Ed. Note: For more information on defense against IEDs installed on vehicles, see Lesson Seven of the Bomb Countermeasures for Security Professionals CD-ROM. A free multimedia training module describing how to search an automobile for explosive devices can be downloaded from this web site by clicking "HERE."

Six Killed and Seventeen Injured by Bomb Attack in Iraq

11/14/00- Six people were killed and seventeen wounded by an explosion outside of a coffee house in the Kurdish controlled city of Ibril. According to reports, the device was strapped to an abandoned bicycle.

Wave of Bombings Target Indian Companies in Nepal

11/13/00- A series of bombings directed against Indian companies in Bhotebahal and Thimi has resulted in several injuries and minor property damage. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, possible motive suggests Maoist rebels operating in the region.

Tanzanian Election Official Wounded in Bomb Attack

11/13/00- An election official in Zanzibar was seriously wounded by a bomb thrown into his bedroom by an unidentified perpetrator(s). This is the second attack on a member of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission in 24 hours.

Police Station Bombing in Turkey

11/12/00- A bombing outside of a police station in the province of Sanliurfa resulted in one injury. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Foiled Maritime Suicide Attack in Sri Lanka

11/05/00- A Sri Lankan Navy spokesman claims that two boats occupied by members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam was prevented from detonating a bomb near naval vessels in the port of Trincomalee. According to the report, a naval craft intercepted and opened fire on the approaching boats. One of the boats which was packed with explosives detonated during the fight.

Jerusalem Car Bomb Kills Two

11/02/00- At approximately 3:00 PM local time, two people were killed and nine wounded in a car bomb explosion near Jerusalem's Mehane Yehuda market. The perpetrators appeared to have fled the area just prior to the blast. Shortly after, two news agencies received statements from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claiming responsibility for the attack.

In addition to the current car bombing, the Mehane Yehuda market has been the target of two previous suicide bombings in 1997 and 1998.

For a detailed survey of security measures to prevent vehicle bombings and guidelines for detecting the delivery of vehicle-borne IEDs, see Lesson 8 of the Bomb Countermeasures for Security Professionals CD-ROM.

Update on USS Cole Investigation

11/01/00- Yemen's Prime Minister Abdul Karim al-Ariani told reporters that the RDX-based explosive C-4 was identified as the base charge explosive in the bomb. Following standard protocol, the FBI refused to officially comment on the results of its forensic analysis.

In addition to revealing that the investigation is now focusing on four suspects with possible links to Muslim extremists, Yemeni investigators now believe that preparations for the attack may have began in March. They claim that during that time, a man used a false ID card to register a white boat at the naval police base. When asked to produce the boat for inspection, the man led investigators to the shack used to weld linings into the boat for the explosives.

ED. NOTE: While C-4 is primarily manufactured in the United States, similar types of RDX-based "plastic explosives" (C-4/PE-4 variants) are manufactured in numerous countries, such as Austria, Portugal, UK, and even Iran. Considering the number and availability of C-4/PE-4 variants, we recommend caution in assuming the accuracy of the Yemeni Prime Minister's statements until the FBI has confirmed and released the results of its analysis. For more information on the characteristics and previous terrorist utilization of the explosives C-4 and PE-4, see Lesson Two of the Bomb Countermeasures for Security Professionals CD-ROM.

Suicide Bombing in Chechnya

10/31/00- According to news reports, a suicide bomber killed himself in front of a government building and a school in Gudermes, Chechnya. The only casualty was the bomber. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, authorities suspect Chechen rebels.