This blog is an attempt to track terrorist attacks worldwide on a weekly basis. While recognising the challenges in defining ‘terrorism’, the incidents listed here will be limited to attacks committed – or claimed – by known terrorist groups (Al Qaeda, Islamic State, FARC, etc.) or those where there is a clear underlying ideological, religious or political motive. Only actual attacks carried out, and not those thwarted through arrests, will be listed (for unsuccessful plots check out Borealis’ X feed @borealissaves). This list makes no claim to be exhaustive as it is limited by time and resources available to scan open source intelligence (OSINT).
Events where information is still being gathered may be included with a caveat that they may not turn out in the end to be terrorist in nature. Crimes motivated solely by hate will NOT appear here. Borealis realises that this too is problematic but believes that a distinction between terrorism and hate crimes is worth maintaining.
After the listing of individual incidents analysis of the visible trendlines will be briefly discussed. Multiple, independent sources (OSINT) will be listed wherever possible.
| Date | Location | Method | Responsibility | Casualties | Type |
| Mar 19 | Sanaa, Yemen | explosives | Houthis | 9 d | Islamist |
| Mar 20 | Gwadar, Pakistan | guns, bombs | BLA? | 2 d | Islamist |
| Mar 21 | Pakistan | IED | TTP? | 2 d 15 w | Islamist |
| Kandahar, Afghanistan | suicide bomber | ISK | 4 d 25 w | Islamist | |
| The Hague, Netherlands | explosive | 0 | |||
| Niger | suicide attack | 23 d 30 w | Islamist | ||
| Mar 22 | Pakistan | suicide attack | 2 d 2 w | Islamist | |
| West Bank | gun | 7 w | Islamist | ||
| southern Thailand | arson | Islamist | |||
| Moscow | guns, flammable liquid | ISIS/ISK | 133 d 140 w | Islamist | |
| Mar 23 | Mogadishu | guns | Al Shabaab | 57 d | Islamist |
| northern Israel | rockets | Hizballah | Islamist | ||
| Mar 24 | Yemen | guns | AQ Yemen | 2 d | Islamist |
| Raqqa, Iraq | guns, IEDs | ISIS | 11d 3 kidnapped | Islamist |
Analysis
Just when you think terrorism is ebbing around the world (refer to last week’s post), it picks up again. ISIS in Khorasan (ISK/ISKP) kills at least 150 in Afghanistan and Russia, and Al Shabaab claims to have killed 57 Somali soldiers in Mogadishu. Niger is hit again by jihadis, the Houthis take revenge on civilians in Yemen and even the Islamist extremists in southern Thailand, which get little to no press coverage (check out my 2019 book When Religion Kills for more on them), grab our attention again. The lesson: don’t count terrorism, especially Islamist terrorism, out.
Sources
Houthis in Yemen blow up a resident’s house, killing at least 9 | AP News
Pakistan port attack kills two soldiers, eight militants, say officials | Reuters; Militants Stage Attack Near China-Operated Pakistan Port – Bloomberg
Roadside Bomb Targeting Security Forces Kills 2 Soldiers, Wounds 15 In Pakistan (rferl.org); At least two killed, 22 injured in DI Khan attack (tribune.com.pk)
4 Killed, 25 Wounded In Kandahar Explosion (rferl.org); Suicide bombing in Afghanistan’s Kandahar city kills 3 – World – DAWN.COM;Afghanistan: 3 killed in suicide attack – DW – 03/21/2024; Suicide Bomber Hits Taliban’s Political Base in Southern Afghanistan (voanews.com); Suicide Attack Kills Three, Injures 12 in Kandahar | TOLOnews; At least three killed in suicide bombing in Afghan city of Kandahar | ISIL/ISIS News | Al Jazeera; Deadly Suicide Bombing Strikes Outside Bank In Kandahar As Taliban Employees Wait For Pay (rferl.org); Explosion in first district of Kandahar city leaves 21 dead, 50 injured – Khaama Press; The Azadi Briefing: Deadly Bombing In Taliban’s De Facto Capital Deals A Blow To Militants (rferl.org)
Object on fire thrown at Israeli embassy in The Hague; One arrested | NL Times
23 Niger Republic soldiers killed in terrorist ambush (punchng.com); Terrorists Ambush Nigerien Soldiers Near Mali, Burkina Faso Border, Kill 23; 34 Others Unaccounted For | Sahara Reporters; Several Nigerien soldiers killed in ambush near Burkina Faso, Mali border (france24.com)
7 hurt in hours-long clashes with terrorist in West Bank; gunman killed in airstrike | The Times of Israel; 3 Wounded In Attack Dolev, West Bank; Reports Indicate Terrorist Killed After 4-hour Op – I24NEWS; Shooting attack in Binyamin: Terrorist named as former Palestinian Authority commander | Israel National News – Arutz Sheva
At least 40 fires set in night of arson across Thailand’s south | Reuters
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-68642036?src_origin=BBCS_BBC
Somalia: Al-Shabaab attacks military base outside the capital (garoweonline.com); Terror attack launched at military base in Somalia by al-Qaeda allies – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com); Senior military officer killed, soldiers missing in Lower Shabelle after Al Shabaab attack on Somali base (hiiraan.com)
Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets at Golan after Israeli raid near Baalbek wounds 4 — Naharnet
An al-Qaida attack in Yemen kills 2 troops loyal to a secessionist group, officials say | AP News
