List of terrorist incidents, 1990
Encyclopedia
This is a timeline of incidents in 1990 that have been labelled as "terrorism
" and are not believed to have been carried out by a government
or its forces (see state terrorism
and state-sponsored terrorism
).
January 6: A car bomb explodes outside private offices in Bogotá
. While no casualties are reported, the office belonged to the son of the personal secretary of Colombin president, Virgilio Barco. April 6: Colombian police defuse a truck containing more than a half-ton of explosives in a wealthy residential area of Bogotá
. The truck had been parked in front of a high school and was set to go off during the morning rush. April 11: A bomb kills 14 and injures 100 in Medellín
. The bomb was directed at a group of Elite Police and it is blamed on the Medellín Cartel
, which had offered $100,000 for every anti-terrorism police killed and $ 4,500 for every regular policeman assassinated. April 25: A car bomb kills nine in Medellín
. Authorities believe the Medellín Cartel
is responsible. The next day, presidential candidate Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
is assassinated while onboard a commercial airliner. April 25: A bomb hidden in a dump truck kills six and injures at least 36 in Bogotá
. May 4: A bomb exploded in front of a pharmacy in Cali
, killing four and wounding 20. It is blamed on the ongoing war between the two rival drug cartels in Colombia. May 7: A car bomb kills one and injures five, outside a government building in Pereira
, capital of Risaralda
State. No group claims responsibility but the government blames drug lords who declared war on the country nine months earlier. May 13: Two car bombs explode simultaneously in the Quirigua and Niza shopping malls during Mother's Day
in Bogotá
killing 19, including six children, and wounding 140, while another bomb exploded in a restaurant in Cali
, killing six and injuring 20. Authorities say the Medellín Cartel
is to blame for the attacks. May 16 The IRA
detonate a bomb under a military minibus in London, killing Sgt Charles Chapman, and injuring four other soldiers. May 17: A bomb inside a shopping mall in Cartagena
wounds 22. The Medellín Cartel
is blamed. May 25: A suicide bomber detonates a car bomb when stopped by police, killing himself and three others in Medellín
. May 30: PLF
attempts an attack on Nitzanim beach, near Tel Aviv. The attackers are intercepted, and four of them are killed. June 15: A car bomb kills four near a police station in Medellín
. Authorities blame the Medellín Cartel
which had previously pledged to murder police in retaliation to the government's anti-drug policies. June 29: A car bomb kills 14 and injures 30 in Medellín
. The Medellín Cartel
is blamed by authorities. July 15: A round of terrorist attacks leaves 40 dead in Medellín
. Another bomb exploded in Puerto Asís
, killing six and injuring five. July 20: The IRA detonate a bomb at the London Stock Exchange
causing damage to the building. Nobody was injured in the blast. July 30: Ian Gow
MP
killed by a car bomb planted by the IRA while at his home in Sussex
. August 3: In the Kattankudy mosque massacre
, 30 members of the LTTE raided four mosques in Kattankudy
and killed 147 men and boys. The LTTE later denied involvement in the massacre and have never detracted it. August 10: A bus going from Tbilisi
, Georgia
to Agdam
, Azerbaijan
is blown up. Twenty people die and 33 are injured. August 13: Armed attack by Division 3 of 6 Eravur
LTTE on Div. 3 or 6, Eravur. 116 Muslims die and 20 are injured. October 24: A series of car bomb
ings directed by the IRA
in Northern Ireland leave six British soldiers and a civilian dead and 37 wounded. September: Rebels bomb two sections of Colombia's Caño Limón
pipeline. It is the fourth attack against the pipeline in two weeks, and rebel group ELN
claims responsibility. November 5: Assassination of Meir Kahane
head of Israel's Koch
party and founder of the American vigilante
group the Jewish Defense League
in a Manhattan
, New York
hotel lobby by early elements of Al Queda. December 13: A remote control bomb kills seven police officer and injures 23 more in Medellín
. Authorities blame the Medellín Cartel
for the attack.
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
" and are not believed to have been carried out by a government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
or its forces (see state terrorism
State terrorism
State terrorism may refer to acts of terrorism conducted by a state against a foreign state or people. It can also refer to acts of violence by a state against its own people.-Definition:...
and state-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism is a term used to describe terrorism sponsored by nation-states. As with terrorism, the precise definition, and the identification of particular examples, are subjects of heated political dispute...
).
January 6: A car bomb explodes outside private offices in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. While no casualties are reported, the office belonged to the son of the personal secretary of Colombin president, Virgilio Barco. April 6: Colombian police defuse a truck containing more than a half-ton of explosives in a wealthy residential area of Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. The truck had been parked in front of a high school and was set to go off during the morning rush. April 11: A bomb kills 14 and injures 100 in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
. The bomb was directed at a group of Elite Police and it is blamed on the Medellín Cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
, which had offered $100,000 for every anti-terrorism police killed and $ 4,500 for every regular policeman assassinated. April 25: A car bomb kills nine in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
. Authorities believe the Medellín Cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
is responsible. The next day, presidential candidate Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
Carlos Pizarro Leongómez was the fourth commander of the Colombian guerrilla group 19th of April Movement . Pizarro later ran for president of Colombia after the demobilization of M-19 that transformed the group into the political party, M-19 Democratic Alliance...
is assassinated while onboard a commercial airliner. April 25: A bomb hidden in a dump truck kills six and injures at least 36 in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. May 4: A bomb exploded in front of a pharmacy in Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, killing four and wounding 20. It is blamed on the ongoing war between the two rival drug cartels in Colombia. May 7: A car bomb kills one and injures five, outside a government building in Pereira
Pereira, Colombia
Pereira is the capital city of the Colombian department of Risaralda. It stands in the center of the western region of the country, located in a small valley that descends from a part of the western Andes mountain chain. Its strategic location in the coffee producing area makes the city an urban...
, capital of Risaralda
Risaralda
Risaralda may refer to:* Risaralda Department, in Colombia* Risaralda River* Risaralda, Caldas a town and municipality in Caldas Department...
State. No group claims responsibility but the government blames drug lords who declared war on the country nine months earlier. May 13: Two car bombs explode simultaneously in the Quirigua and Niza shopping malls during Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
killing 19, including six children, and wounding 140, while another bomb exploded in a restaurant in Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, killing six and injuring 20. Authorities say the Medellín Cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
is to blame for the attacks. May 16 The IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
detonate a bomb under a military minibus in London, killing Sgt Charles Chapman, and injuring four other soldiers. May 17: A bomb inside a shopping mall in Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
wounds 22. The Medellín Cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
is blamed. May 25: A suicide bomber detonates a car bomb when stopped by police, killing himself and three others in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
. May 30: PLF
Palestine Liberation Front
The Palestine Liberation Front is a Palestinian militant group, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Canada, the European Union and the USA. It is presently led by Dr. Wasel Abu Yousef.-Origins:...
attempts an attack on Nitzanim beach, near Tel Aviv. The attackers are intercepted, and four of them are killed. June 15: A car bomb kills four near a police station in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
. Authorities blame the Medellín Cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
which had previously pledged to murder police in retaliation to the government's anti-drug policies. June 29: A car bomb kills 14 and injures 30 in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
. The Medellín Cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
is blamed by authorities. July 15: A round of terrorist attacks leaves 40 dead in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
. Another bomb exploded in Puerto Asís
Puerto Asís
Puerto Asís is a Colombian municipality in the department of the Putumayo. It is located on the west bank of the Putumayo river, downstream from the mouth of the Guamúez River, 75 km by road to the south of Mocoa...
, killing six and injuring five. July 20: The IRA detonate a bomb at the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
causing damage to the building. Nobody was injured in the blast. July 30: Ian Gow
Ian Gow
Ian Reginald Edward Gow TD was a British Conservative politician and solicitor. While serving as Member of Parliament for Eastbourne, he was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army who exploded a bomb under his car outside his home in East Sussex.-Life:Ian Gow was born at 3 Upper...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
killed by a car bomb planted by the IRA while at his home in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. August 3: In the Kattankudy mosque massacre
Kattankudy mosque massacre
The Kattankudi mosque massacre was the killing of over 147 Muslim men and boys in a mosque in Kattankudi by LTTE cadres on August 3, 1990. It took place when around 30 Tamil rebels raided four mosques in the town of Kattankudi, where over 300 people were prostrate in Isha prayers...
, 30 members of the LTTE raided four mosques in Kattankudy
Kattankudy
Kattankudy or Kattankudi is a small city in Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It was the site of the Kattankudy mosque massacre of 1990.With over 40,000 inhabitants, Kattankudi is one of the few cities in Sri Lanka where ethnic Moors form the over all majority of the population...
and killed 147 men and boys. The LTTE later denied involvement in the massacre and have never detracted it. August 10: A bus going from Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
to Agdam
Agdam (rayon)
Agdam is a rayon in southwestern Azerbaijan. Its capital is the city of Agdam, which is currently a ghost town. It is a disputed region, with the western half controlled by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic....
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
is blown up. Twenty people die and 33 are injured. August 13: Armed attack by Division 3 of 6 Eravur
Eravur
Eravur is a town in the Batticaloa District of Sri Lanka, it is located about 15 km north-west of Batticaloa.- Mosques :Akbar Jummah mosqueJamiul Akbar Jummah MosqueMohideen Jummah MosqueAboosalh thaikkah MosueJifry thikaah Mosque- Socities :...
LTTE on Div. 3 or 6, Eravur. 116 Muslims die and 20 are injured. October 24: A series of car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
ings directed by the IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
in Northern Ireland leave six British soldiers and a civilian dead and 37 wounded. September: Rebels bomb two sections of Colombia's Caño Limón
Caño Limón
The Caño Limón – Coveñas pipeline is a crude oil pipeline in Colombia from the Caño Limón oilfield in the municipalities of Arauca and Arauquita in Arauca Department on the border of Venezuela to Coveñas on Colombia's Caribbean coastline. It is jointly owned by the state oil firm Ecopetrol, and...
pipeline. It is the fourth attack against the pipeline in two weeks, and rebel group ELN
National Liberation Army (Colombia)
National Liberation Army is a revolutionary, avowed Marxist guerrilla group that has been operating in several regions of Colombia since 1964....
claims responsibility. November 5: Assassination of Meir Kahane
Meir Kahane
Martin David Kahane , also known as Meir Kahane , was an American-Israeli rabbi and ultra-nationalist writer and political figure. He was an ordained Orthodox rabbi and later served as a member of the Israeli Knesset...
head of Israel's Koch
Koch
Koch may refer to:* Koch , a type of Arctic boat* Koch people , an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east India* Koch , people with this surname* Koch, Łódź Voivodeship, a village in central Poland...
party and founder of the American vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
group the Jewish Defense League
Jewish Defense League
The Jewish Defense League is a Jewish organization whose stated goal is to "protect Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary"...
in a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
hotel lobby by early elements of Al Queda. December 13: A remote control bomb kills seven police officer and injures 23 more in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
. Authorities blame the Medellín Cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
for the attack.