AN OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM JANUARY - JUNE 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90T00114R000800850001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 15, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 27, 1986
• Content Type: REPORT

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An Overview of International Terrorism
January - June 1986
International terrorist attacks are on the rise and the
United States continues to be a favorite target. During the
first six months of 1986, nearly 450 international terrorist
incidents occurred worldwide*-- a 25-percent increase over the
r
-- were directed attinactkesre-s-tso.
comparable ofrthe year.
one-fourth
o As in recent years, international terrorism continues to
be'a problem of the Middle East. More than half of all
international terrorist incidents recorded for the first
six months of 1986 occurred in the Middle East. In
addition, Middle Eastern terrorists were responsible for
o d e at least 50 percent of*the total number of incidents
W n y worldwide for the period.
Z Around 20 percent of the international terrorist atttaacks
for the 6-month period occurred in Western Europe,
slightly from the 1985 total. Despite some government
`I counterterrorist successes, several major indigenous
terrorist organizations -- among them West Germany's Red
Army Faction (RAF) and France's Action Directe (AD) --
continued to stage terrorist attacks. In the RAF claimed responsibility
Siemens executive Karl-Heinz Beckurts near his home in a
Q ~1 Munich suburb. That same month, AD carried out four
attacks against French interests, including an attack
\ against a police headquarters that left one dead and
some 20 persons injured.
o During the 6-month period, Latin America accounted for
15 percent of international terrorism. Though
international terrorism continues to be a small subset
of all'political violence in the region--dwarfed*by
insurgent domestic violence directed principally against
governmental or military targets--the level of
international terrorism in Peru, Chile, and Colombia so
far this year has been notable. Government-sponsored
violence in Ch,~leah as co continued unabated while rightwing
terrorism, in E
* The 1986 figures are based on preliminary data.
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o In the first six months of 1986 there .were about as many
international terrorist incidents in Asia as there were
for all of 1985. Among the more significant events were
the series of homemade rockets fired at the State Guest
House in Tokyo by the leftist Japanese group Chukaku-ha;.
as heads of government were arriving for the Economic
Summit in early May. Although the rockets emissidetheir t
target, and caused only minimal damage,
caused great embarrassment to the Nakasone government.
In the first half of 1986, Libya, Syria, and Iran continued
to be active in supporting terrorism. Tripoli and Damascus were
involved in dramatic.incidents that were departures ff romstheirred
previous patterns of terrorist-related activity. Liya attacks in April against US diplomatic personnel in Khartoum,
Sudan, and Sanaa, Yemen Arab Republic, and Syria probably was
behind the attempted bombing of an El Al jetliner in London in
mid-April. Iran, following a period of inactivity on the
terrorist front, UWOab~bloilafacilities~on serie of bombing
attacks against K
The United States has been a frequent target of
international terrorism in the first half of the year. In the
first six months?ists, died at the of
international tor or
o Forty percent of all international terrorist attacks
against US persons and property for the half-year
occurred in Latin America, particularly in Peru, Chile,
and Colombia. In Peru, the Maoist insurgent movement
Sendero Luminoso increasingly has attacked urban
targets, and the United States has borne the brunt of
much of its activity directed against foreigners. Chile
and Colombia, as in 1985, have continued to be principal
venues for anti-US terrorism'. Twice as many anti-US
incidents ccurreddinnanytothereregionuinnanyhothertmonth
. April a as occ
during the period.',,
o Leftist groups in West Germany oaccounted
tedifor somee10e in
incidents -- or one-fourth
Western rrlow-levelhattacks 1986.
these were
installations.
o Some 15 international terrorist incidents were directed
against US interests in the Middle East during the first
half of 1986.' This level is roughly the same as the
total number of anti-U S.._a~cimostsofntheeanti~US..violence
of 1985. So far this ye,
has occurred in Lebanon.
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The highest level of international terroristtactivityeinnthe
first half of 1986 -- well over 100 incidents G
S April, in the wake of US naval operations ins the Gulfoli aidra in
late March, and again after the
Banghazi in mid-April'Past experience
terrordistoincidentstusually
dramatic upsurge in international
occurs in the immediate awake mofhthe Israelicincursioniintoor
military events. In the
Lebanon in June 1982, for example, a rash of international m s
terrorist their actionsctorsolidarityiwithwthe Arab vc ictims.
linking th
to morefindiscriminate
Terrorist operations continue
in nature, reflecting:apparen 9a targeted. In the early
bystanders and others hot specifically
ous
'April bombing of the LaaBeand moreothanu200npersonseofivari for
example two people died,
number(another
nationalities were wounded
of casualtieshforitherfirstwhalf
omonths l). Tha t1
of 1986 -- - more than 1 ,, 250 -- increased by nearly 30 percent from,
the comparable period in 1985. Theinuumberwoflfatalities dropped
substantially - by more than one
persons wounded increased by well over 100 percent. Forty-fife
percent of all casualties in 1986 occurred during the mt
April.
During the first half of 1986, more than one-fifth of all
international terrorist incidentsdein terrorist attacks againsts
targets, reflecting a growing tren
more vulnerable, less protected targets -- especially as
diplomatic and military installations are hardened against
terrorism. The number of attacks against business interests
worldwide exceeded the combined total of against
diplomatic and military targets
Bombings remained the favored type of attack, used in nearly
60 percent of all incidents for the period. Counted among these
were some 14 vehicle bombings, employed most frequently in the
' x.
Middle East.
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Date
1985
1 July
11 July
22 July
29 July
6 August
8 August
Chronology of Significant Terrorist Incidents
July 1985- July 1986
Incident
Spain
In Madrid, a bomb exploded at the British
Airways ticket office, killing one person and
injuring 27 others. The blast gutted the
prerpi,ses and also wrecked a'TWA office located
directly above. Minutes later, a grenade was
lobbed into the nearby offices of Royal
Jordanian Airlines, and the front of the
building was raked with. small-arms fire. The
Organization of the Oppressed, Revolutionary
Organization of Socialist Muslims, and Black
September claimed responsibility.
Kuwait
In Kuwait, two powerful bombs exploded within
minutes of each other in-two crowded outdoor
cafes, killing eight people, and injuring
89. The Arab Revolutionary Brigades claimed
responsibility.
Denmark
In Copenhagen, simultaneous bombings damaged
the Northwest Orient Airlines office and a
synagogue, injuring 32 persons. A caller
claiming to represent Islamic Jihad took
responsibility.
Spain
The Basque Fatherland and Liberty-Military
Wing claimed credit for the machinegun attack
that killed Vice Admiral Fausto Escrigas
Estrada, the Director General of Defense
Policy, as he drove to work in Madrid.
Moz'alnb i que
j;The Mozambique National Resistance killed 33
,persons in an attack on a funeral cortege in
Tete province near the Malawi border.
West Germany
A carbombing at Rhein-Main airbase near
Frankfurt killed two Americans and wounded 17
other persons. The West German Red. Army
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Faction and the French Action Directe both
claimed responsibility.
Colombia
The 19th of April Movement claimed
responsibility for the kidnaping inMBogota of
an American oil company executive,
Stewart. Stewart, an employee of a Tenneco
subsidiary, was released on 23 December.
20 August.. Egypt
In-Cairo, the Israeli administrative attache
was assassinated by gua `is a passing
His wife and secretary were wounded. The
previously unknown group Egyptian
? claimed credit.
16 'August
3 September Greece .
Two grenades were thrown into the lobby
Greek hotel in Glyfada, wounding 19 Britons.
A caller to an Athens newspaper stated that
Black September would conduct numerous attacks
in Athens if Greek authorities did not release
one of its members.
9 September Spain
In Madrid, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty-
Military Wing claimed responsibility for a
remote-controlled car bomb attack that injured
18 Spanish ofehisan
passerby; the
injuries.
10 September El Salvador
President Duarte's daughter, Inez, and a
companion, were kidnaped on a San Salvador
university campus during a scuffle that left
one security guard dead and another mortally.
wounded. 'Duarte was held for nearly two
months before being released in a prisoner
swap involving approximately two dozen
captured gurillas. TheiPedro Pablo Castillo
Front claimed
16 September Italy
~Tdrrorists lobbed grenades into the Cafe de
Paris restaurant in Rome, wounding 38
tourists, including nine Americans. The
Revolutionary Organization of Socialist
Muslims, a covername used by the Abu Nidal
Group, claimed responsibility.
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25 September Italy
b b exploded in the British
m
30 September
in Rome, a o
15 persons. An Arab
Airways office, injuring
arrested fleeing the scene claimed to be a
member of the Revolutionary Organization of
Socialist Muslims.
Lebanon
In Beirut, three Soviet diplomats and a Soviet
Embassy doctor were kidnaped. The body of one
of the captives was found in a West Beirut.
suburb on 2 October; the remaining hostages
were release
group,
clainled responsibility.
7 October Mediterranean Sea
The Italian cruise ship Achille Laurro.wasfor
seized as it departed Alexandria, gypt,
Egyptian
Port Said. Before surrendering to Eauthorities on 9 October, the terrorists
killed US tourist Leon Klinghoffer. The
Palestine Liberation Front was responsible.
6 November Colombia
Guerrillas belonging to the 19th of April
theand held
Movement seized the Palace
the timeJustice
it for over 27 hours.
incident came to an end -- when government
troops stormed the building -- some 90 people
were dead, including seven Supreme Court
judges and more than 50 guerrillas.
23 November Malta
An Egyptian jetliner was hijacked
to Malta. Before Egyptian the plane -- killing some 60 persons who
remained aboard -- the terrorists murdered
five persons, including an American woman, and
wounded the other Americans on board. The
Arab Revolutionary Brigades claimed
responsibility for the hijacking jointly with
th,e Egyptian Revolution.
24 November Hest Germany
\IA car bomb exploded in a parking lot adjacent
to a US military shopping center in Frankfurt,
wounding 32, mostly US military personnel and
dependents. No group claimed responsibility.
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29 November Japan
Chukaku-ha cut National Railway communications
cables in at least 16 places, firebombed a
railway station, and burned a transformer
facility in a well-executed assault which
ultimately stranded 11 million commuters.
7 December France
The bombing of two department stores in Paris
left about 35 holiday shoppers wounded. The
Palestine Liberation Front, the Armenian
Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, and
Islamic Jihad all claimed responsibility.
10 December. Colombia
Approximately 60 armed guerrillas of the
People's Liberation Army attacked a Bechtel
Corporation construction site in northern
Colombia and kidnaped two US. engineers,
demanding $6 million for their release. One
of the Americans died in captivity in early
1986; the other was released shortly
thereafter.
1986
31 January Lebanon
In West Beirut, five gunmen kidnaped the
second secretary at the South Korean ed
Embassy. The Organization of the Oppressed
and two previously unknown groups -- the
"Fighting Revolutionary Cells," which provided
a photograph of the diplomat, and the "Green
Brigades," which demanded ransom - claimed
responsibility. His current status is
unknown.
5 February France
In Paris,.a bomb exploded in a large shopping
complex, injuring at least 26 people,
including one American. The Committee for
Solidarity with Arab and Near Eastern
Political Prisoners claimed responsibility.
10 February Italy
In Florence, terrorists assassinated the
former mayor of Florence, Lando Conti. The
Red,Brigades claimed responsibility.
21 February Italy
In Rome, members of the Union of Communist
Combatants shot and wounded presidential
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economics adviser Antonio da Empoli. Da
Empoli's bodyguard killed one of the four
terrorists, and Italian police reportedly
arrested two others. The Union of Communist.
Combatants may be associated with the Red
Brigades terrorist organization.
2 March West Bank
The pro-Jordanian mayor of Nablus was
assassinated outside city hall by an
unidentified gunman.
7 March West Bank
In Jerusalem, an American tourist was shot by
unidentified assailants. The man, probably
mistaken for an Israeli, was slightly
wounded. The anti-Arafat Palestinian group,
Abu Musa, was most likely 'responsible.
8 March
19 March
27 March
Lebanon
In West Beirut, four members of a French
television crew were kidnaped, possibly by a
faction of Hizballah. Two of the captives
were released on 20 June.
Egypt
In Cairo, the wife of an Israeli Embassy
employee was killed and three other Israelis
were wounded when terrorists ambushed their
car leaving the Cairo Trade Fair. The attack
was claimed by a group calling itself Egypt's
Revolution.
Japan
In Tokyo, three homemade incendiary rockets
were fired into the grounds of the US Embassy,
and two rockets were fired into the grounds of
the Imperial Palace. None of the rockets did.
any damage or caused any casualties, although
one rocket landed on the roof of the Embassy.
Bolivia
Id La Paz, a previously unknown group calling
itself "Los Commandos del Pueblo" claimed
responsibility for a dynamite explosion at the
US Embassy. The incident caused no casualties
and minor damage. In a communique sent to a
local radio station, the group said it acted
in retaliation for US,_aggression against
Libya, Nicaragua, and other Third World
countries.
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2 April
5 April
15 April
17 April
Lebanon
In West Beirut, two British citizens were
kidnaped. Their bodies, along with that of
American citizen Peter Kilburn, were
discovered on 17 April. The note accompanying,
the bodies said they had been executed in
retaliation for the US raid on Libya. Kilburn
was kidnaped in West Beirut in November 1984.
West Germany
In West Berlin, the German-Arab Friendship
Union was bombed. Three Palestinians were
implicated in the attack..
Greece
A bomb exploded aboard TWA Flight 840 as it
approached Athens,; killing four Americans, and
injuring nine other persons. Although it was
damaged severely, the plane was able to make
an emergency landing in Athens. A previously
unknown group, the "Arab Revolutionary Cells,"
claimed responsibility for the incident in a
communique issued from Beirut. The major
suspect in the case remains a Lebanese woman
with ties to the Syrian-backed Syrian Social
Nationalist Party.
West Germany
A bomb explosion inside a popular West Berlin
nightclub, the La Belle discotheque, killed
two -- including one US serviceman -- and
injured more than 200, including 60
Americans. Another American soldier died two
months later. A Palestinian has been arrested
in connection with the bombing. Libya is
believed to have sponsored the attack.
Sudan
Unidentified assailants shot and seriously
wounded a US Embassy employee in Khartoum.
Black September claimed responsibility. Libya
is believed to have sponsored the attack.
United Kingdom
.;London police arrested an Irish woman at
'Heathrow Airport as she attempted to board an
E1-A1 flight with a suitcase bomb. Her
Paldstinian boyfriend, who planted the
explosives, was arrested two days later. In
his confession he stated that Syrian officials
were extensively involved in assisting him.
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23 April
Turkey
Turkish authorities thwarted a plot by Libyans
to stage a grenade attack against the US
Officers Club in Ankara. According to the
Turkish indictment of five Libyans implicated
in`the attempt, about 100 People were
attending a wedding party at the time the
attack was scheduled to occur.
25 April
3 May
4 May
14 May
Greece
In Athens, gunmen killed Dimitros
Angelopoulos, director of Greece's largest
iron and steel works, as he walked to work.
The Greek terrorist group Revolutionary
Organization 17 November claimed
responsibility.
Lebanon
The Revolutionary Organization of Socialist
Muslims -- a covername used by Abu N.idal --
claimed that it had executed British UN
employee Alec Collett, who was abducted in
Khaldah in March 1985. In a communique, the
group asserted that it had murdered Collett in
retaliation for British-support for the US_,.
raid on Libya.
Yemen Arab Republic
In Sanaa, an unidentified assailant shot and
wounded a US Embassy communications officer
near his residence. Libya is believed to have
sponsored the attack.
Sri Lanka
Tamil separatists bombed an Air Lanka
passenger jet preparing to take off from
Colombo for the Maldives. The blast blew the
tall . off. the jet and killed 16 people.
Japan
In Tokyo, the leftist radical group Chukaku-ha
(Nucleus Faction) fired five homemade rockets
at the State Guest House, where heads of
government were arriving for the Economic
Summit. The rockets, which missed their
target, caused no injuries and only minimal
damage.
Indonesia
In Jakarta, two mortar projectiles were fired
at the US_and Japanese Embassies, but both
failed to explode. An hour later, a car bomb
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25 June
. 26 June
9 July
9 July
exploded in the parking lot of an office
building housing the Canadian Embassy and
.destroyed at least six cars. The previously
unknown "Anti-Imperialist International
Brigade" claimed responsibility for the
attacks, stating that they were conducted in
retaliation for-the antiterrorism declarations
of the Tokyo Economic Summit earlier that
month.
Kuwait
A. bomb exploded at an oil well near Kuwait
City, and two blasts occurred at manifolds
near, Kuwait's oil tank farms, causing
consi.derable damage.
Peru
A bomb exploded aboard' a tourist train that
travels from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, killing
eight persons, including one American, and
wounding 36 persons, including eight
Americans. An American teenager died of her
injuries several days later.
Spain
A suitcase bomb exploded at the El Al counter
at Madrid airport during an inspection.
Thirteen persons were injured, three
seriously. The arrested terrorist said he was
a member of Abu Musa, an anti-Arafat
Palestinian group.
West Germany
The Red Army Faction claimed responsibility
for the assassination of Siemens executive
Karl-Heinz Beckurts near his home in suburban
Munich.
France
In Paris, a powerful bomb exploded inside the
building housing the French police
prefecture. A police inspector was killed and
some 20 other persons were wounded. Action
DirGcte claimed responsibility.
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