This is a list of terrorist incidents which took place in 2016, 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.
List guidelines
To be included, entries must be notable (have a stand-alone article) and described by a consensus of reliable sources as "terrorism".
List entries must comply with the guidelines outlined in the manual of style under MOS:TERRORIST.
Casualties figures in this list are the total casualties of the incident including immediate casualties and later casualties (such as people who succumbed to their wounds long after the attacks occurred).
Casualties listed are the victims. Perpetrator casualties are listed separately (e.g. x (+y) indicate that x victims and y perpetrators were killed/injured).
Casualty totals may be underestimated or unavailable due to a lack of information. A figure with a plus (+) sign indicates that at least that many people have died (e.g. 10+ indicates that at least 10 people have died) – the actual toll could be considerably higher. A figure with a plus (+) sign may also indicate that over that number of people have died.
If casualty figures are 20 or more, they will be shown in bold. In addition, figures for casualties more than 50 will also be underlined.
In addition to the guidelines above, the table also includes the following categories:
A gunman fired into a crowded pub and several other businesses in Dizengoff Street. The attacker then took a cab and then shot the driver dead.[1][2] before he was found by counter-terrorism forces in his hometown of Ar'ara on 8 January and killed during a shootout.
Militants disguised as soldiers attacked an Indianair base killing seven security force members, including Subedar Fateh Singh, who won gold and silver medals in the first Commonwealth Shooting Championships held in 1995, before being killed after a 15-hour gunfight. A civilian was also killed.[3]
An asylum seeker shouted "Allahu Akbar!" outside a police station in Goutte d'Or, near Montmartre, where police shot and killed him while a by-passer was shot. Reports say he was wielding a knife and fake suicide vest.[5]
In West Philadelphia, a gunman shot police officer Jesse Hartnett, who was driving a marked police car. Hartnett survived and was able to shoot the attacker.[6]
Two militants armed with a melee weapon and a signal flare, arrived by sea and stormed Bella Vista Hotel, stabbing three foreign tourists from Sweden and Austria. One of the assailants was shot dead and the other was wounded by security forces.[citation needed] ISIL claimed responsibility.[7]
Several explosions followed by gunfire occurred with a Starbucks and a police station appearing to be the main targets. The attack involved seven participants.[14]
Gunmen with heavy weapons attacked the Cappuccino restaurant and the Hotel Splendid in the city centre, where more than 100 hostages were taken.[16] al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attack.[17][18]
Militants attacked the neighbourhoods of Begayliya and Ayash, killing dozens in an execution-style mass murder. International sources reported that the attack was against Syrian Army personnel and killed 85 Syrian soldiers along with 50 civilians, while Syrian sources said over 300 people were killed, most of whom were children and women.[19][20][21]
Several gunmen, some equipped with suicide vests, opened fire on Bacha Khan University. At least four of the attackers were also killed during the attack. More than 200 students were rescued from the building.[citation needed]
Al-Shabaab militants struck with a suicide car bomb at the gate of a seafood restaurant overlooking Lido Beach. Another blast struck about an hour later as governmentsoldiers laid siege to the restaurant. After the blasts, militants entered the near crowded hotel, some of them by boat, and attacked civilians within.[22][23]
20 minutes after take-off, a passenger in Daallo Airlines Flight 159, detonated an explosive device in the Airbus A321, opening a hole in the fuselage behind the R2 door. The crew turned the plane around and successfully performed an emergency landing at Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport. Two injuries were reported and a body, believed to be that of the perpetrator was found on the ground.
Two bombings occurred in pro-Government, mainly Shia inhabited, Zahraa neighbourhood. The first blast was caused by a car bomb and the second one was a result of a car bomb or a suicide bombing.[32][33]
Militants detonated a car bomb and later launched two suicide bombings about 400 meters from Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque, a Shia shrine, believed to contain the grave of Prophet Muhammad's granddaughter. The attack occurred when pupils were leaving school in the area. At least 60 shops were damaged as well as cars in the area.[34][35]
A suicide bomber blew the entrance of the SYL hotel allowing gunmen to storm the hotel and clash with the hotel guards. Government forces arrived and ended the attack.[36]
A Palestinian man from Qalqilya stabbed three people at the Jaffa Port and then stabbed others near a restaurant in Charles Clore Park. One American tourist was killed and nine others were wounded. The assailant was shot dead by police.[39]US Vice President Joe Biden was at a visit, one mile (1.6 km) from the incident.
Gunmen attacked two hotels at a beach resort popular with Western tourists. Witnesses say the gunmen were shouting "Allahu akbar" during the gunfire.[40][41]
Mortar attack on a checkpoint in the Sinai Peninsula. Security officials said five attackers were killed in clashes near the checkpoint after the attack.[46]
Triple suicide car bomb that hit roadblocks manned by loyalist forces. Two car bombs exploded in the al-Shaab area in the west of Aden and an ambulance exploded against a checkpoint near Mansoura in the center of the city.[50]
The ambush began at approximately 5:00 (a.m.), when guerrillas targeted a military convoy along a rural road transporting election ballots and related materials and also serving as guards for polling stations. The ambush left a total of nine government soldiers and two civilian contractors dead.[54] Two hours after the attack, a second attack occurred in Mayapo, on the Llochegua District in Ayacucho, where one police officer was injured and taken to a hospital in Pichari.
A suicide bomber driving a car attacked a group of Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims in a southeastern suburb of Baghdad. A second explosion struck near a Shi'ite militia checkpoint in the Dora district.[61][62]
Militant attack on an Alawite village in Hama Governorate.[67] Around 70 other civilians, including women and children were kidnapped and taken to Al-Rastan.[67]
The Taliban executed at least 17 people after kidnapping around 220 people on buses and in cars at a fake checkpoint. 6 people were killed by Afghan forces when they attempted to flee the scene. Around 20 hostages were moved to Char Dara District.[80]
A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the Ambassador Hotel after which two gunmen opened fire on the hotel and took hostages before being killed by police.
Over 20 militants attacked a military facility and two firearm stores. The attacks killed a clerk, a military officer and a serviceman at a national guard facility. Another nine servicemen were wounded. The police launched a counter-terrorism operation in which it managed to kill four militants and detain seven but others escaped.[82][83]
In a continuation of a prior event, 12 hostages were executed, and 42 more people were kidnapped. Four more people were also killed during the new kidnappings.[87][88][89]
A man shouting "Islamist slogans" stabbed his neighbor, a 42-year-old police officer, to death before taking the officer's wife and son hostage. Police raided the house and killed the attacker and discovered the officer's wife dead but his son alive.[citation needed]
Assailants opened fire on SPLA soldiers in Raja. The assailants also set fire to the residence of the local governor. At least 41 people, including seven soldiers, 20 civilians, and 14 assailants, were killed and five other people were injured in the ensuing clash.
Afghan, Nepali, and Indian security contractors were killed when a suicide bomber detonated outside the minibus they were in.[citation needed] The people killed were security guards at the Canadian embassy.[92]
At least seven bombings were simultaneously targeted checkpoints in the port city, followed by a fourth that struck the entrance to a military camp.[93][94]
Grenade attack on patrons at the Movida nightclub watching a UEFA European Championships match. The bombing is believed to be the first IS-related attack on Malaysia. Two people were arrested in July.[95] However, Muhammad Wanndy denied that he ordered the attack and said that the two arrested men are Islamic State supporters.[96]
Series of coordinated bomb attacks. Early in the evening, a large car bomb exploded in the middle of a busy market.[98] The blast occurred in the Baghdad neighborhood of Karrada, which contains Shia Muslims and a large Christian minority. A second car bombing in the district of Sha'ab killed at least 5 people and injured 16, while two more bombings killed at least two more people.[99][100]
A man blew himself up after police tried to arrest him near the United States consulate. Two Saudi police officers were injured.[101] Two suicide bombers targeted a Shia mosque in Qatif, but failed to harm anyone but themselves.[102] A suicide bomber targeted security forces outside the Prophet's Mosque in Medina killing 4 and wounding 5 others.[103]
Gunmen attacked a Malian Army base close to the border with Mauritania.[108][109] 17 soldiers were killed and 35 others were wounded in the attack, which was jointly claimed by three separate groups.[110]
A gunman opened fire on a shopping mall before committing suicide. The shooter was a bullied man who was said to be obsessed with mass shootings. The massacre was conducted on the anniversary of the 2011 Norway attacks. The suspect was described as being a "very nationalistic" racist, with him boasting about similarities with Adolf Hitler.
A 27-year-old Syrian refugee detonated a bomb at a wine bar, killing only himself. He had previously been denied entry to a nearby music festival.[114]
About 20 gunmen took control of a police station, killing two officers. 77 people were injured and 100 others were arrested. 3 gunmen were also injured. Hostages were taken. The gunmen surrendered on July 31, two weeks after seizing the police station.[120]
Policemen intervened in an attack by a militia. 11 policemen were killed and 8 terrorists were also killed, with 40 militants being captured. The leader of the militia was also killed. Four policemen went missing.
Two men with firearms and axes attacked the police station on 20th kilometer of Shchelkovo Highway near Moscow. Two traffic police officers were seriously injured, one of them died in hospital.[127] Attackers, natives of the Chechen Republic, were killed during the attack. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.[128]
A car bomb detonated on a coastal highway in Tartus, killing more than 5 people, followed by a suicide bomber exploding in the crowd gathering in the area. A car bomb then hit a Syrian Army checkpoint in the Zahra district of Homs and killed 2 soldiers. A motorcycle bomb detonated near an Asayish checkpoint in Hasakah and killed at least 5 people, with an explosion in the capital city of Damascus following soon after.[134][135][136]
Double suicide attack in rush hour near the Ministry of Defence.[137] A third explosion caused one death.[138] Other attacks also occurred that lasted overnight.
Around 9:30 am, a pipe bomb exploded in a trash can in Seaside Park, New Jersey, but no one was injured. Later that day, at around 8:30 pm, a homemade pressure cooker bomb exploded in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, injuring 29 people. A second pressure cooker bomb was promptly discovered four blocks away, but did not detonate. The following day, two homeless men discovered a backpack containing several pipe bombs in Elizabeth, New Jersey. On September 19, the perpetrator was captured in Linden, New Jersey, after a shootout with police which left three officers and the suspect wounded.
22-year-old lone wolf Dahir Adan committed a mass stabbing inside a mall in St. Cloud Minnesota using two steak knifes. 10 people were injured before Dahir was fatally shot by an off-duty law enforcement officer
Three police officers were attacked by a man wielding a machete in the Schaerbeek neighborhood. Two of them suffered stab wounds, while the third was assaulted but otherwise uninjured. Several stations and the anti-terrorism prosecution office was also evacuated due to a bomb-alert.[142]
A Palestinian arrived at a tram stop in his car and shot "randomly" at passers-by. A 60-year-old woman and a police officer were killed; the attacker himself was pursued by police and later shot dead.[145]
Suicide bomber targeted a mourning tent.[147] In a second incident, the wife and three children of Numan al-Mujamaie, the leader of the Ishaqi Mobilization militia, were killed when gunmen stormed his house in the town of Ishaq in his absence.[148]
At least five militants stormed a police training center and took between 200 and 500 cadets hostage.[150] Three of the attackers were killed and at least 60 people were killed and 120 were injured. Several hostages escaped as well.[151][152][153]
A 53-year-old Kenyan refugee who was former employee of FreightCar America shot 4 people in a Freightcar America building killing one and injuring the three other people before committing suicide. Terrorism is a suspected motive in the shooting.[154]
The Maute Group briefly seized control of parts of the town, in retaliation of an offensive launched by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Government forces killed at least 63 militants and recaptured the town.
A student who was a Somali refugee rammed his car into a group of students at the Ohio State University. The perpetrator then stabbed several others before he was killed on the scene.[166]
A gunman killed the Russian ambassador to Turkey. Three bystanders were also injured.[178] According to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Youm Al-Sabea, the Army of Conquest claimed responsibility for the assassination.[179]
A truck ploughed into a Christmas market.[180][181][182] The perpetrator was found by police in Milan, Italy four days later and was killed in a shootout with police. One officer was wounded.[183]
A commercial jet that took off from Libya was hijacked by individuals with explosives. The plane landed in Malta. The hijackers were pro-Gaddafi militants who demanded recognition of their group.[184]
