On November 28, 2002, the Kenyan hotel bombing took place. November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Three suicide bombers detonated an SUV in the lobby of the Israeli-owned Paradise Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, killing 13 people and injuring 80. Among the dead were three Israeli tourists who presumably were the targets of the attack, and 10 Kenyans, mostly members of a dance troupe. About 20 minutes earlier, two surface-to-air missiles were fired at an Arkia Boeing 757 airliner carrying 271 people, narrowly missing the aircraft, which was taking off from nearby Moi International Airport. The plane was able to land safely in Tel Aviv. 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). ... A sport utility vehicle (SUV) or off-roader is a vehicle that combines the load-hauling and passenger-carrying capacity of a large station wagon or minivan with features designed for off-road driving. ... Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya. ... A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ... Arkia Israeli Airlines is an airline based in Israel and uses the IATA designator IZ. On November 28, 2002, at the same time that the Kenyan hotel bombing occurred, an Arkia Boeing 757 was narrowly missed by two anti-aircraft missiles. ... The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) is the leading American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with its largest production facilities in Everett, Washington, near Seattle, Washington. ... The Boeing 757 is a medium-range transcontinental commercial passenger airplane manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ... An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft (an aeroplane/airplane) initially designed for the transport of paying passengers, and usually operated by an airline company (which owns or leases the aircraft). ... Daniel Toroitich arap Moi (born September 2, 1924) was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002. ... Tel Aviv at night Dizengof Center Allenby Street Tel Aviv-Yafo (Hebrew תל אביב-יפו; Arabic تل ابيب-يافا Tal Abīb-Yāfā) is an Israeli city on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. ...

US and Israeli officials suspected a Somali group linked to al-Qaeda was responsible for the bombing and speculated that the suspects had smuggled the missiles into Kenya from Somalia. 12 people were arrested in connection with the hotel bombing, including six Pakistanis and four Somalis, as well as an American and her Spanish husband, both of whom were later released. Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ...

Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for this attack on the Jehad.net website, which since had been taken down. Jehad. ...

Links and references

• Kenyan May Have Talked to Bombers, Washington Post, December 2, 2002
• After Blast, Kenya Reviews Qaeda's Trail in East Africa, The New York Times, December 1, 2002
• ATTACKS IN MOMBASA: Kenyans Hunting for Clues; Bombing Toll Rises to 13, The New York Times, November 30, 2002
• THE GRIEVERS: Israelis Return in Trauma From Supposed Haven, The New York Times, November 30, 2002
• INVESTIGATION: U.S. Suspects Qaeda Link to Bombing in Mombasa, The New York Times, November 30, 2002
• Source of Bombs? Kenyans Look North, The New York Times, November 30, 2002
• AT THE SITE: Survivor Saw Bombers' Race to Death, The New York Times, November 30, 2002