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December 11, 2007, Algiers bombings

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2007 Algiers bombings
LocationAlgiers, Algeria
DateDecember 11, 2007
TargetUnited Nations, Constitutional Court
Attack type
suicide bombings
Deaths31 (confirmed), up to 76 (media claim)[1]
Injured170


The 2007 Algiers bombings occurred on December 11, 2007 when two car bombs exploded 10 minutes apart starting at around 9:30 a.m. local time, in the Algerian capital Algiers.[2] The initial death toll was said to be 26 people.[3] The al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating that it was "another successful conquest […] carried out by the Knights of the Faith with their blood in defence of the wounded nation of Islam."[3] [4] These attacks constitute another act of violence in the ongoing Islamic insurgency, a continuation of the Algerian civil war that claimed 200,000 lives.[5][6]

Targets

Two car bombs containing 800kg (1,700lb) of explosives each were used in the bombings.[7]The first explosion occurred in the Ben Aknoun district, near the Supreme Constitutional Court. This was followed ten minutes later by a second blast on the road that separates the United Nations offices from the UNHCR offices in the Hydra neighborhood.[8] The United Nations building partially collapsed in the explosion while the UNHCR offices were "leveled" according to a UNHCR official[1]. The United Nations building housed the offices of the Development Program (UNDP), the World Food Program (WFP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Department of Safety and Security (DSS) and the Population Fund (UNFPA).[9] The collapsed section mainly housed the UNDP.[2]

The attack against the UN office was a suicide bombing.[2] It is as yet unknown whether the same is true for the Constitutional Court attack.

In terms of staff casualties, the attack is the second worst in the history of the United Nations, the deadliest being the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing, which targeted the UN headquaters in Baghdad, Iraq. That attack killed the Secretary-General's Special Representative to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 other staff members.[3]

Casualties

The bombings are now believed to have killed at least 31 people. Among the dead were 11 United Nations employees at work in their offices.[3] Two of the dead have been confirmed as Algerian drivers employed by the UNHCR.[8] This official death toll, provided by Algerian Interior Minister Yazid Zerhouni, conflicts with numbers reported by hospital and rescue officials, which triple the government's count.[3][1]

In the attack near the Constitutional Court, a bus packed with university students was passing by the vehicle containing the bomb at the time of the explosion. Security officials said the bus took the full force of the blast and was ripped apart, killing or injuring nearly all of those on board.[2]

Many people are still unaccounted for. A number of them are possibly still trapped under the rubble, according to UN spokeswoman Maria Okabe. Jean Fabre, head of the UN Development Program's Geneva office, indicated they were still searching for survivors in the rubble.[3]

177 people were injured in total, according to Zerhouni.[3]

Reaction

  • United States United States - President George W. Bush's administration said, "We condemn this attack on the United Nations office by these enemies of humanity who attack the innocent. The United States stands with the people of Algeria, as well as the United Nations as they deal with this senseless violence." [10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Rescuers search for bomb survivors". CNN. 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  2. ^ a b c d "Dozens killed in Algeria bombings". BBC News. 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "11 UN workers among 26 killed in Algeria blasts". CBC News. 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  4. ^ "Al-Qaeda claims Algeria bombings". Al Jazeera. 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  5. ^ "Algeria puts strife toll at 150,000". Al Jazeera. 2005-02-25. Retrieved 2007-12-12. Note that the 150,000 figure was given on February 2005, and the Reuters article from June 2007 (below) includes an updated figure of 200,000 casualties.
  6. ^ "Algeria violence death toll at year low in May". Reuters. 2007-06-04. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  7. ^ "UN review after Algiers bombing". BBC News. 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  8. ^ a b "UNHCR chief condemns Algiers bombing; mourns dead". UNHCR. 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  9. ^ "UN in Grief at Algeria Bombings". Associated Press. 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  10. ^ a b "Leaders condemn bombs against peace". CNN International. 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
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