Between June 2000 and September 2004 Chechen insurgents added suicide attacks to their weaponry. During this period there have been 23 Chechen related suicide attacks in and oustide Chechnya, and the profiles of the suicide bombers have varied just as much as the circumstances surrounding the bombings. This article is about the year 2000. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority, by any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. ... A suicide attack is an attack in which the attacker or attackers intend to kill others and intend to die in the process (see suicide). ... A suicide bombing is a bomb attack on people or property, committed by a person who knows the explosion will cause his or her own death in addition to the attacks primary purpose (see suicide, suicide weapons). ...

Overview

• Chechen related suicide attacks did not begin until 2000. Through five years of conflict (the First Chechen War 1994-1996 and the first year of the second Russo-Chechen War), there were no Chechen related suicide bombings in Russia.

• The vast majority of suicide bombings have been directed at those whom the Chechen separatists consider combatants. The preponderance of these attacks have been directed at military installations and government compounds in and around Chechnya.

• There is no evidence of foreign involvement in either the planning or execution of Chechen suicide attacks. There is no evidence of foreign involvement in either the planning or execution of Chechen suicide attacks. In contrast to Palestine where suicide bombers and/or their families often receive large rewards from Arab sponsors, there is no evidence of financial rewards being given to Chechen suicide bombers.

• A majority of the identified Chechen suicide bombers were victims of Russian ‘counter-terrorist’ operations. None of the identified Chechen suicide bombers were socially or economically marginalized relative to the surrounding Chechen population, nor did they exhibit any apparent preexisting psychopathologies or homicidal inclinations. Despair, hopelessness, and a sense of injustice are the lowest common denominators that almost always precipitate suicide terrorism in Chechnya. Even in those cases when Chechen suicide bombers were clearly manipulated by ‘handlers,’ it remains clear that desperation and a desire for revenge makes them more susceptible to this manipulation.

• Females comprise a clear majority of Chechnya’s suicide bombers, as 68% of identified Chechen suicide bombers are female. This is in contrast to Palestine, where females make up only a very small minority (ca 5%) of attackers.

• The highest concentration of suicide attacks was in the summer of 2003, when a much publicized wave of suicide bombings swept out of Chechnya and into Moscow. This spate of suicide bombings began in earnest not long after the March 23 referendum on the adoption of a new Chechen constitution and after suicide bombings garnered international headlines in Iraq. The second largest concentration of suicide bombings was in the summer of 2000, when Chechen suicide bombers used trucks filled with explosives to attack military targets in Chechnya. The majority of the bombers in this time period were males.

• Although, the most publicized of Russia’s suicide attacks took place in Moscow, Russia’s suicide attacks have occurred predominantly in Chechnya (14 of 23). Four additional attacks took place in neighboring North Caucasus regions, and four other attacks occurred in Moscow. Although the logistical restraints of striking far away Moscow might had inhibit some separatists from committing suicide attacks there, it is more probable to assume that Chechen suicide terrorists were more inclined to strike at nearby targets that have a close link to the conflict in Chechnya.

Combatants Russian Federation Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Commanders Pavel Grachev Aslan Maskhadov Strength Peaking at 45,000 3,000 regulars, thousands of irregulars The First Chechen War (Russian: первая чеченская война) occurred when Russian forces attempted to stop the southern republic of Chechnya from seceding in a two year period lasting from 1994... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Palestine (from Latin: ; Hebrew: Pleshet, פלשתינה Palestina; Arabic: ‎ FilastÄ«n, FalastÄ«n) is one of several names for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the banks of the Jordan River with various adjoining lands. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... The North Caucasus, also called Ciscaucasus, Forecaucasus, or Front Caucasus (Russian: ), is the northern part of the Caucasus region. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ...

Attacks against a Russian government targets

• June 2000 - On June 6, Chechnya experienced its first suicide bombing when a young woman Khava Barayeva drove a truck loaded with explosives through a checkpoint of an OMON base at Alkhan-Yurt in Chechnya; she detonated her bomb outside barracks, killing a number of troops. Another "suicide operation" was carried on June 11 at a checkpoint in Khankala by a former Russian soldier who had converted to Islam and joined the rebels; this explosion killed two OMON officers.

• July 2-July 3, 2000 - Chechen guerrillas launched five suicide bomb attacks into Russian military and police headquarters and barracks within 24 hours. In the deadliest, at least 54 police troops were killed and 81 wounded at OMON dormitory in Argun, near capital Grozny. The Russian Interior Ministry for Chechnya based in Gudermes is targeted twice; six Russian troops are killed. Following one of the bombings a firefight broke out between Chechen guerillas and soldiers, killing three soldiers and an unknown number of militants. [1]

• December 2001 - A suicide truck bomb driven by a 16-year-old Chechen girl was stopped by gunfire, as it smashed through checkpoints and blockposts on its way to a MVD building in Grozny. [2]

• November 29, 2001 - A young Chechen woman, Elza Gazuyeva, carried out an assassination attempt on the Urus-Martan military district commandant, identified only as General Geydar Gadzhiev, blowing herself up with a hand grenade near a group of Russian soldiers. Gazuyeva had lost a husband, two brothers, and a cousin in the war. Gadzhiev, who was accused of atrocities against civilians by locals, reportedly had personally summoned Elza to witness her husband's and brother's torture and execution. He and several other soldiers later died of their wounds.[3][4][5][6]

• February 5, 2002 - A 16-year-old girl detonated a small bomb inside of the building of Zavodsky district police station in Grozny. She was the only casualty.

Government headquarters bombing

• December 27, 2002 - Chechen suicide bombers ran vehicles into the heavily guarded republic's government headquarters in Grozny, bringing down the roof and floors of the four-story building. The drivers wore federal military uniforms and carried official passes which allowed them through three successive military checkpoints on their way to the headquarters building; a guard at the fourth and final checkpoint attempted to inspect the vehicles, and began firing on the trucks as they drove through the checkpoint towards the building. Chechen officials said about 80 people were killed and 210 wounded, and Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for a planning and execution of the attack.

• May 12, 2003 - Two suicide bombers drove a truck full of explosives into a government administration and security complex including republican FSB headquarters in Znamenskoye, in northern Chechnya; about 60 people were killed and more than 250 wounded, including a number of civilians.

• May 14, 2003 - The pro-Russian President Akhmad Kadyrov is attacked by a pair of female suicide bombers at a religious festival in Iliskhan-Yurt, who are however stopped by his bodyguards; 15 die in the blasts. He is also attacked by another young shahidka, Mariam Tashukhadzhiyeva, in Grozny few weeks later.

• June 5, 2003 - A female suicide bomber ambushed a bus carrying Russian Air Force pilots in North Ossetia, blowing it up and killing herself and 20 other people and wounding 14.

• August 1, 2003 - A suicide bomber driving a truck packed with explosives blew up a military hospital in the town of Mozdok in North Ossetia, bordering Chechnya. The blast killed at least 50.

• April 7, 2004 - Ingushetia President Murat Zyazikov, a former KGB general, was lightly injured by a suicide car bomb attack on his motorcade; he was saved by the armour plating of his Mercedes-Benz car.

June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... Capital Grozny Area - total - % water Ranked 80th - 15,300 km² - negligible Population - Total - Density Ranked 49th - est. ... A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ... The OMON insignia OMON (Russian: Отряд милиции особого назначения; Otryad Militsii Osobogo Naznacheniya, Special Purpose Detachment of Militsiya) is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet, Ministerstvo Vnutrennih Del (MVD; Ministry of Internal Affairs). ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... Religious conversion is the adoption of new religious beliefs that differ from the converts previous beliefs; in some cultures (e. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... Olivia Amador ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Distinguish from the type of ape called a gorilla. ... Categories: Wikipedia cleanup | Military of Russia | Russia-related stubs ... Headquarters (HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are concentrated. ... Barracks is usally used to connote a type of military housing. ... A typical American college dorm room Many colleges and universities are now using the term residence hall (UK: halls of residence) instead of dormitory. ... Argun may refer to Argun, Chechnya, a city in Chechnya Argun River, Caucasus Argun River, Asia an alternative spelling of Arghun, an Ilkhan (Mongol ruler of a Persia-baded empire). ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative sense of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Grozny or Groznyy (Russian: ) is the capital of the Chechen Republic in Russia. ... Modern emblem of Russian MVD Russian Gendarme officers in the 1860s The Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del (MVD) (Министерство внутренних дел) was the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the imperial Russia, later USSR, and still bears the same name in the Russian Federation. ... Gudermes (Russian: ) is a town in the Chechen Republic, Russia, located on the Sunzha River 36 km east of Grozny. ... The word militant has come to refer to any individual or party engaged in aggressive physical or verbal combat, normally for a cause. ... A car bomb is a bomb that is placed in a car or truck and is intended to be exploded while there. ... The term checkpoint may refer to: A place at which vehicles or pedestrians are stopped in order to enforce laws or security measures. ... Modern emblem of Russian MVD Russian Gendarme officers in the 1860s The Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del (MVD) (Министерство внутренних дел) was the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the imperial Russia, later USSR, and still bears the same name in the Russian Federation. ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Commandant is a military or police title or rank and can mean any of the following: The commander of certain military corps and services, such as the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Commandant of the Coast Guard in the United States or the Commandant of the (now obsolete... A WWII-era MkIIA1 pineapple fragmentation hand grenade A humorous use of the pineapple grenade. ... A civilian is a person who is not a member of a military. ... Torture is any act by which severe pain, whether physical or psychological, is intentionally inflicted on a person as a means of intimidation, deterrence, revenge, punishment, sadism, or information gathering. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Image File history File links Photo09. ... Image File history File links Photo09. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (362nd in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organisation whilst participating in that organisations activity. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... FSB may stand for one of the following. ... Znamenskoye is a village in northern Chechnya, in Russia. ... A civilian is a person who is not a member of a military. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (1861-1865) The majority of this article is about heads of states. ... A bodyguard is a person who protects someone (known as their principal) from personal assault, kidnapping, assassination, loss of confidential information, or other threats. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Though the majority of suicide bombers were and are male, female suicide bombers have carried out a number of attacks since 1985. ... The Russian Air Force or VVS (transliterated from Russian: Военно-воздушные силы (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily)) is the air force of Russia. ... An aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. ... The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Russian: Респу́блика Се́верная Осе́тия-Ала́ния; Ossetic: Цæгат Иры&#1089... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A casualty is a victim of an accident, injury or trauma. ... Map of North Ossetia, Russia Mozdok (Russian: Моздо́к, Ossetian Мæздæг) is a town in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in southern Russia. ... The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Russian: Респу́блика Се́верная Осе́тия-Ала́ния; Ossetic: Цæгат Иры&#1089... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Murat Magometovich Zyazikov (Russian: Мура́т Магоме́тович Зя́зиков) (born September 10, 1957) is the president of the southern Russian republic of Ingushetia. ... The KGB emblem and motto: The sword and the shield KGB (transliteration of КГБ) is the Russian-language abbreviation for Committee for State Security, (Russian:  ; Komitet Gosudarstvennoj Bezopasnosti). ... A procession of cars carrying VIPs, especially political figures. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ...

Attacks against a Russian civilian targets

Although only six out of 23 attacks were directed against civilians, these attacks have drawn a lion’s share of the publicity generated by Chechen suicide tactics.

• July 5, 2003 - Two young Chechen girls were stopped by security guards at separate entrances outside a rock festival at the Tushino airfield near Moscow, and detonated their explosives, killing 15 people. For many observers, the Tushino suicide attacks appeared out of place. The bombings marked the first time that Chechen separatists had attacked Russian civilians with no apparent motive; there were no demands or political aims, not even a claim of responsibility.

• December 5-10 2003 - A shrapnel-filled bomb believed strapped to a lone male suicide attacker ripped apart a commuter train near Chechnya, killing 44 people and wounding nearly 200. The explosion occurred during a busy morning rush hour when the train was loaded with many students and workers; it ripped the side of the train open as it approached a station near Yessentuki, 750 miles south of Moscow. Only five days later another blast shook Russia -- this time the attack occurred in the very centre of Moscow a female suicide bomber set off explosives near the Kremlin and State Duma; the bomber used suicide belts packed with ball bearings to kill 6 people and injure another 44. Shamil Basayev later claimed responsibility for organising the December 2003 attacks.

Moscow metro bombing

• February 6, 2004 - A bomb ripped through a Moscow metro car during rush hour morning, killing 39 people and wounding 134. A previously unknown Chechen rebel group claimed responsibility for the bombing; the claim came from a group calling itself Gazoton Murdash, led by Lom-Ali ("Ali the Lion"). According to the statement, the group launched the attack to mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of scores of Chechen civilians by Russian soldiers who took control of the Chechen capital Grozny.

• August 27, 2004 - Officials said two Russian airliners that crashed nearly simultaneously on August 24 were brought down by bombs after finding traces of explosives in the planes' wreckages. An Islamic militant group claimed responsibility for the attack in which 90 people died in a Web statement. Chechen women Amanta Nagayeva (30) and Satsita Dzhebirkhanova (37), who lived in an apartment in Grozny, had purchased their tickets at the last minute; Nagayeva's brother disappeared three years ago and the family believed he was abducted by Russian forces.

See also: Second Chechen War crimes and terrorism

July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Security Guard or Security Officer is usually a privately-employed person who is paid (directly or through a security firm) to protect property and/or people. ... Tushino (Тушино in Russian) is a locality in the north of Moscow. ... For other uses, see Airport (disambiguation). ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ... A suicide attack is an attack in which the attacker or attackers intend to kill others and intend to die in the process (see suicide). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A sectioned Shrapnel shell displayed at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa Shrapnel is the term used to describe the spherical shot or musket balls dispersed when a shrapnel shell bursts. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... Essentuki or Yessentuki (Russian: Ессентуки) is a city in Stavropol Krai, Russia at the base of the Caucasus Mountains. ... Though the majority of suicide bombers were and are male, female suicide bombers have carried out a number of attacks since 1985. ... Image File history File links Moskwa_zamach_ranni. ... Image File history File links Moskwa_zamach_ranni. ... February 6 is the 37th GOODIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A rapid transit, underground, subway, tube, elevated, or metro(politan) system is a railway system, usually in an urban area, with a high capacity and frequency of service, and grade separation from other traffic. ... Rush hour at Tokyo Station, Yamanote Line A rush hour is a part of the day with busy traffic and hence traffic congestion on the roads and crowded public transport; normally the two periods in a day when people are travelling to or from work or school. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Russian aircraft bombings of August 2004 was a terrorist attack on two domestic Russian passenger aircraft at around 23:00 on August 24, 2004. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ...

Further reading

• The American Committee for Peace in Chechnya : "Chechnya’s Suicide Bombers: Desperate, Devout, or Deceived?" By John Reuter

See also

• Riyadus Salihiin