2015 Chad suicide bombings

The 2015 Chad suicide bombings were a suicide attack which occurred the afternoon of Saturday 10, October 2015 in the town of Baga Sola, Chad a small fishing community on Lake Chad.[1] The attack is thought to have been perpetrated by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram and resulted in the deaths of around 36 individuals, and wounding upwards of 50 more.[2] The attacks were reportedly carried out by 3 women and 2 children with primary targets being a busy marketplace, as well as a nearby refugee camp hosting upwards of 7149 refugees.[3]

2015 Chad suicide bombings
Part of Boko Haram insurgency
Location Baga Sola, Lac Region, Chad
Date 10 October 2015
Attack type
 Suicide bombing, mass murder
Deaths 38
Non-fatal injuries
 51
Perpetrators Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Boko Haram

Background

Boko Haram

Boko Haram is a salafist jihadi Islamic extremist organization with origins tracing to the West African country of Nigeria. The group's primary goal is the takeover of the Nigerian government in order to implement a state run under strict Islamic law.[4] While Boko Haram participate in a wide range of terroristic activities including suicide bombings, and massacres, the group is most widely known for the kidnapping of women and young girls, most notably the Chibok kidnappings.[5] Due to an ever-increasing amount of activity in and outside the borders of Nigeria, Boko Haram was officially designated as an international terrorist organization by the United States.[6] As of 2015, Boko Haram has officially declared allegiance to, and has been accepted into the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant by official decree of the caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.[7]

Use of women and children in suicide attacks

Boko Haram in recent years have increasingly begun to use women and children as perpetrators for their suicide attacks. The tactics by which Boko Haram get individuals to commit suicide attack include forcing kidnapped women to carry out attacks, as well as indoctrination.[8] Tactics for using children as suicide bombers include drugging the children before sending them out to commit an attack.[9]

Timeline of Events

Market bombing

The attacks in Baga Sola began sometime in the afternoon on Saturday 10, October 2015. The first phase of the attack was carried out by three female individuals in a crowded marketplace in the town, the three attackers detonated bombs at peak traffic hours resulting in the deaths of 16 individuals, including the bombers themselves.[10] It is not known if the perpetrators were forced to carry out the attacks or if they operated on their own free will.

Refugee camp bombing

The second group of attackers almost simultaneously targeted a nearby refugee camp hosting Nigerian individuals, as well as internally displaced Chadians, whom were seeking refuge from violence perpetrated by Boko Haram.[2] The attacks on the refugee camp ultimately resulted in the deaths of 22 individuals.[2]

Aftermath

Following the attacks in Baga Sola the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, took to condemning the attacks.[3] Additionally the nature of the attack on Baga Sola make it the most elaborate and most devastating attacks to occur in the Lake Chad region.[10] To date Boko Haram have lost large amount of previously claimed territory, in addition the group has undergone organizational fracturing resulting from a disagreement over leadership.[11]

See also

External Resources

https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/Results.aspx?search=boko+haram&sa.x=0&sa.y=0&sa=Search

References

  1. ↑ "Lake Chad's Baga Sola town hit by suicide bombers". BBC News. 2015-10-10. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  2. 1 2 3 Press, Associated (2015-10-10). "At least 36 killed in suicide bombings on market and refugee camp in Chad". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  3. 1 2 Section, United Nations News Service (2015-10-13). "UN News - UN agency condemns suicide attacks in Chad, pledges continued support". UN News Service Section. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  4. ↑ NCTC. "National Counterterrorism Center | Groups". www.dni.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  5. ↑ "Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls two years ago. What happened to them?". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  6. ↑ "Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist group?". BBC News. 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  7. ↑ CNN, Hamdi Alkhshali and Steve Almasy. "ISIS leader accepts Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance". CNN. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  8. ↑ "Boko Haram attacks with children 'suicide bombers': UN". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  9. ↑ "Boko Haram increasingly using drugged children as suicide bombers, warns Unicef". The Independent. 2017-04-12. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  10. 1 2 "Boko Haram terror in ‘safe’ village". NewsComAu. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  11. ↑ "Boko Haram fracturing over Islamic State ties, U.S. general warns". Reuters. 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2017-04-27.


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