This is a list of terrorist incidents which took place in 2013, including attacks by violent non-state actors for political motives. Note that terrorism related to drug wars and cartel violence is not included in these lists. Ongoing military conflicts are listed separately.
| Date | Type | data-sort-type="number" | Dead | data-sort-type="number" | Injured | Location | Article | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 10 | Suicide bombings, bombing | 126 | 270+ | Various locations in Pakistan | January 2013 Pakistan bombings A string of bombings hit the country. A bombing at a crowded market in Quetta killed 12 and injured 47 in an attack claimed by a Balochistan separatist group. Later, twin blasts took place in quick succession at a snooker hall. A total of 92 people were killed in these attacks, including 9 policemen, 25 rescue workers and 3 journalists who perished in the second one. In addition, an explosion at a Tableeghi Jamaat seminary in the Swat Valley, outside of Saidu Sharif, killed 22 people and wounded 60.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] | Lashkar-e-Jhangvi | ||
| Jan 15 | Rocket attacks | 82 | 160 | Aleppo, Syria | Aleppo University bombings Two explosions struck between the Aleppo University halls of residence and the faculty of architecture as students were gathering for the first day of exams. The Syrian government accused rebels of firing a surface-to-air missile, while opposition activists said government jets bombed the campus.[6] | |||
| Jan 16–19 | Shooting, hostage crisis | 69 | unknown | In Aménas, Algeria | In Amenas hostage crisis Militants under the command of Mokhtar Belmokhtar took more than 800 people hostage at a remote gas facility, leading to a tense 4-day standoff with the Algerian Army and at least 2 assaults. At least 40 hostages and 29 militants were killed, while 685 Algerian workers and 107 foreigners were freed.[7] | Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb | ||
| Feb 2 | Suicide bombing | 1 | 1 | Ankara, Turkey | 2013 United States embassy bombing in Ankara A suicide bombing in front of the US embassy killed a security guard and injured a journalist.[8] | RPLP-F | ||
| Feb 16 | Bombing | 84 | 190 | Quetta, Pakistan | February 2013 Quetta bombing A bomb attached to a motorbike exploded at a market in Hazara Town on the outskirts of Quetta. Most of the victims were members of the predominantly Twelver Shia minority.[9] | Lashkar-e-Jhangvi | ||
| Feb 21 | Car bombings | 83 | 250+ | Damascus, Syria | February 2013 Damascus bombings A car bomb exploded next to the Ba'ath Party offices, killing 61 and injuring more than 200. The attack killed mostly civilians. In addition, three bombings killed 22 and injured 50 in the suburb of Barzeh. Most of the victims were government soldiers.[10] [11] | Al-Nusra Front Suspected | ||
| Feb 21 | Bombings | 17 | 119 | Hyderabad, India | 2013 Hyderabad blasts | Indian Mujahideen Suspected | ||
| Mar 3 | Car bombings | 48 | 180 | March 2013 Karachi bombing Twin bombings struck Shi'ite faithful as they were leaving a prayer hall.[14] | ||||
| Mar 4 | Ambush | 64 | 10 | Akashat ambush Gunmen ambushed a Syrian Army convoy escorted by Iraqi soldiers, killing 51 Syrians and 13 Iraqis near the border between the two nations.[15] [16] | Islamic State of Iraq | |||
| Mar 13 | Bombings, shootings | 5 | 10 | Srinagar, India | March 2013 Srinagar attack Two gunmen assaulted a CRPF camp in Jammu and Kashmir.[17] | Hizbul Mujahideen or Lashkar-e-Taiba | ||
| Mar 18 | Suicide bombing | 41 | 44 | Kano, Nigeria | 2013 Kano bus bombing A suicide bomber attacked a bus station in a predominantly Christian area of Kano.[18] [19] | |||
| Mar 19 | Bombings, shootings | 98 | 240 | across Iraq | 19 March 2013 Iraq attacks A series of coordinated bombings and shootings across central and northern Iraq on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War. At least 61 were killed and 148 wounded in Baghdad, where most of the major attacks took place.[20] | Islamic State of Iraq | ||
| Apr 12 | Suicide bombing | 4 | 8 | Kidal, Mali | 2013 Kidal suicide attack Two suicide bombers detonated their explosive belts at a market, killing 4 Chadian soldiers.[21] [22] | MOJWA | ||
| Apr 15 | Bombings, shootings | 75 | 356 | across Iraq | 15 April 2013 Iraq attacks A string of attacks across Iraq which began with 8 bombings in Baghdad that killed 30 and wounded 92. Attacks also took place in Kirkuk, Baqubah, Tikrit, Fallujah, Nassiriyah and Mussayab, among others.[23] | |||
| Apr 15 | Bombing | 4 | 264[24] | Boston, United States | Boston Marathon bombing Two bombs were detonated near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon. One suspect was killed during a shootout with police in Watertown, Massachusetts in the early hours of April 19, while the other suspect, his brother, was arrested nearby about 18 hours later. The two also shot and killed a police officer in Cambridge prior to the police chase.[25] | Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev | ||
| Apr 16 | Bombing | 0 | 16 | Bangalore, India | 2013 Bangalore bombing A bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded next to the offices of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.[26] | |||
| Apr 23–26 | Bombings, shootings | 331+ | 577+ | across Iraq | 2013 Hawija clashes On April 23, an Iraqi Army raid against a protest encampment in the city of Hawija, west of Kirkuk, led to dozens of civilian deaths and to several insurgent groups and local tribal militias attacking security forces across the country.[27] [28] [29] [30] | Islamic State of Iraq, Naqshbandi Army, Sons of Iraq, Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police | ||
| Apr 29 | Stabbing | 1 | 0 | Birmingham, United Kingdom | Part of 4 attacks by Pavlo Lapshyn, a white supremacist. 82-year-old Mohammed Saleem, a Birmingham resident, was stabbed to death. Lapshyn later went on a campaign of bombing attempts at mosques in the West Midlands.[31] [32] | Pavlo Lapshyn | ||
| May 15–21 | Bombings, shootings | 449 | 732 | across Iraq | May 2013 Iraq attacks A series of deadly bombings and shootings across central and northern Iraq over a period of seven days. The deadliest incident was a blast at a Sunni mosque in Baqubah on May 17 that killed 43 and injured 80 others.[33] [34] [35] [36] | Islamic State of Iraq Suspected | ||
| May 22 | Knife attack | 1 | 2 | Woolwich, United Kingdom | Murder of Lee Rigby Soldier and drummer Lee Rigby was knocked down by a car, after which the 2 occupants attacked him with knives and a machete, almost decapitating him and dumping the body on the road. The attackers were later injured in a shootout with security forces and arrested.[37] | Lone wolves | ||
| May 26 | Ambush | 27 | 32 | Chhattisgarh, India | 2013 Naxal attack in Darbha valley A ten-vehicle convoy carrying Indian National Congress workers was ambushed by around 250 Naxalite rebels after a land mine was triggered in the Darbha valley, a remote area in the Sukma district. Among those killed were Chhattisgarh INC leader Nand Kumar Patel and his son, who were kidnapped during the incident and later found dead, as well as Salwa Judum founder and former state Minister, Mahendra Karma.[38] | Communist Party of India (Maoist) | ||
| Jun 10 | Bombings, shootings | 94 | 289 | across Iraq | 10 June 2013 Iraq attacks Insurgents staged another series of coordinated attacks across central and northern Iraq. The incidents included a series of bombing and clashes in Mosul that killed 34 and wounded 123 others. Other attacks targeted Iraqi Army bases, markets, as well as police checkpoints.[39] | Islamic State of Iraq Suspected | ||
| Jun 16 | Bombings, shootings | 54 | 174 | across Iraq | 16 June 2013 Iraq attacks Insurgents set off a number of coordinated attacks across Iraq. Deadly attacks took place in Baghdad and Mosul, but most of the incidents focused on the country's south, including Kut, Najaf, Nassiriya and Basra.[40] | Islamic State of Iraq Suspected | ||
| Jun 18 | Suicide bombing | 28 | 60+ | Shergarh, Pakistan | 2013 Mardan funeral bombing A suicide bomber detonated his vest at a funeral. Among those killed in the attack was Imran Khan Mohmand, formerly an independent MPA.[41] [42] [43] | |||
| Jun 19 | Bombing | 22 | 20+ | Mogadishu, Somalia | June 2013 Mogadishu attack Militants detonated a car bomb at the main UNDP base and staged an assault on the compound. Government forces were able to retake control of the site after a 90-minute shootout.[44] | al-Shabaab | ||
| Jun 21 | Bombing | 15 | 25+ | Peshawar, Pakistan | 2013 Peshawar mosque bombing A suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shiite mosque in the Gulshan neighborhood. The perpetrators first gunned down a police officer and a security guard before the suicide bomber entered the mosque.[45] | |||
| Jun 21 | Bombing | 0 | 0 | Walsall, United Kingdom | Part of 4 attacks by Pavlo Lapshyn. A homemade bomb was left and detonated outside a mosque during Friday prayers. | Pavlo Lapshyn | ||
| Jun 22–23 | Mass murder | 11 | 2 | Nanga Parbat, Pakistan | 2013 Nanga Parbat massacre | Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan | ||
| Jun 25 | Suicide car bombing, shooting | 3 | Kabul, Afghanistan | 2013 Afghan presidential palace attack Eight fighters cleared two high-level security clearances, entering one of the most heavily restricted areas in Kabul.[46] They detonated a series of suicide bombs near the eastern gate of the Arg presidential palace, launching two rocket propelled grenades at the CIA headquarters in Afghanistan and engaging in a firefight with palace security guards.[47] Three Afghan guards were killed, as well as all eight fighters.[48] | Taliban | |||
| Jun 28 | Bombing | 0 | 0 | Wolverhampton, United Kingdom | Part of 4 attacks by Pavlo Lapshyn. A homemade bomb was left and detonated outside a mosque during Friday prayers. | Pavlo Lapshyn | ||
| Jul 2 | Bombings, shootings | 86 | 234 | across Iraq | July 2013 Iraq attacks Five car bombs exploded in predominantly Shia areas of Baghdad in the neighborhoods of Shuala, Kamiliyah, Shaab and Abu Tcheer. Other shootings also killed four people. At the same time two bombings in Kirkuk and Mosul resulted in one person dead and three others wounded.[49] Other targets included Iraqi Army and Police forces, Sahwa members, as well as government officials.[50] | |||
| Jul 6 | Raid | 42 | ? | Mamudo, Yobe State, Nigeria | Yobe State school shooting Gunmen attacked the Government Secondary School in a pre-dawn raid. Most of the victims were students, with the exception of a few staff members and at least one teacher. More than 100 people were reported missing in the aftermath of the attack. Some of the students were burned alive.[51] | Boko Haram Suspected | ||
| Jul 12 | Bombing | 0 | 0 | Tipton, United Kingdom | Part of 4 attacks by Pavlo Lapshyn. A homemade bomb was left and detonated outside a mosque during Friday prayers. | Pavlo Lapshyn | ||
| Jul 20–21 | Clashes | 21 | 6 | Arauca, Colombia | 2013 Colombian clashes During clashes over two days, 17 Colombian forces died on the first day and four others the next day. At the same time the rebels took U.S. citizen Kevin Scott Sutay hostage on 20 June. The attacks occurred during peace talks in Cuba between the government and FARC.[52] | FARC or ELN | ||
| Jul 27 | Suicide truck bomb | 6 | 9 | Mogadishu, Somalia | 2013 Mogadishu Turkish embassy attack A suicide bomber drove a truck into the gate of the Turkish embassy.[53] | Al Shabaab | ||
| Aug 21 | Chemical attack | 281–1,729 | 3,600 | Ghouta, Syria | Ghouta chemical attack A series of chemical attacks were conducted in the Ghouta region. | Syrian Arab Army / Syrian rebels (suspected) | ||
| Sep 9–28 | Clashes, arson and hostage-taking | 220 | ~254 | Zamboanga City, Philippines | Zamboanga City crisis Separatists tried to seize control of the city center, leading to weeks of clashes with government forces | Moro National Liberation Front | ||
| Sep 13 | Truck bomb, shooting | 2 | 20 | Herat, Afghanistan | 2013 attack on U.S. consulate in Herat Seven militants attacked the U.S. consulate using truck bombs, assault rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades | Taliban | ||
| Sep 21 | Shooting | 68 | ~100 | Nairobi, Kenya | Westgate shopping mall attack 10 men attacked the Westgate Shopping Mall, an exclusive shopping centre. | al-Shabab | ||
| Oct 27 | Bombs | 5 | 66 | Patna, Bihar, India | 2013 Patna bombings Eight bombs exploded just before BJP opposition prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was due to speak in the lead-up to the 2014 Indian general election | Indian Mujahideen (Suspected) | ||
| Oct 28 | Car attack | 5 | 38 | Beijing, China | 2013 Tiananmen Square attack An SUV truck drove off the road at north of Tiananmen Square, passed barriers and caught fire in front of the main entrance of the Forbidden City. The attack claimed all three occupants of the vehicle, who were suspected to be Uighurs and two tourists, one Filipina and one Chinese. The incident was suspected to be a suicide attack.[54] | East Turkestan Islamic Movement (Suspected) | ||
| Dec 5 | Suicide car bombing | 56 | 200+ | Sana'a, Yemen | 2013 Sanaa attack A suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden car towards the western entrance of the Defense Ministry complex. The suicide car bombing was followed by a coordinated attack by militants in another car. Another coordinated attack and gunfight outside the complex was reported to have taken place later that day.[55] | al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula(Suspected) | ||
| Dec 25 | Car bombings | 8 | 37 | Baghdad, Iraq | 2013 Baghdad Christmas Day bombings Three separate bombings targeted Christians.[56] | |||
| Dec 27 | Car bombing | 8 | 70 | Beirut, Lebanon | Assassination of Mohamad Chatah A car bomb struck the convoy of Mohamad Chatah, a former minister of finance and ambassador to the United States.[57] [58] |
Total Incidents: