2016 Qaa bombings

Last updated

2016 Qaa attacks
Part of the Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon
Lebanon adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Qaa, Lebanon
Date27 June 2016
Attack type
suicide bombing
WeaponsExplosives and suicide vests
Deaths5
Injured13–30
Perpetrators Islamic State (alleged but denied)

On 27 June 2016, eight suicide bombers carried out a series of explosions in the Lebanese Christian town of Qaa in Baalbeck-Hermel, near the Syrian border, killing 5 civilians and injuring around 30 others. [1]

Contents

Attack

Morning attacks

On a Monday morning, a perpetrator, riding a motorcycle, threw a grenade towards a gathering of worshipers in front of a church and then blew himself up with an explosive belt. This was followed by a second suicide bomber riding a bicycle who blew himself up as well. Two other perpetrators attacked the town but an army intelligence unit chased one of them forcing him to detonate his vest without injuring other pedestrians. [2] The other suicide bomber tried to attack a military center, but he was also given chase by security forces according to a statement by the Lebanese Army Command. [3] [4]

Evening attacks

These bombings were succeeded by four suicide bombings at dawn in other parts of the town; 2 of which were near a church. [5] [6]

Aftermath

The Qaa attacks got the attention of Lebanese security forces as they cracked down on illegal emigrants and wanted criminals. Security forces raided Syrian refugee camps the day after the attack and arrested 103 Syrians for not having legal documents and nine motorbikes were confiscated. [7] [8]

International reactions

Related Research Articles

Jund al-Sham is or was the name of multiple Sunni Islamist jihadist militant groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism in Saudi Arabia</span>

Terrorism in Saudi Arabia has mainly been attributed to Islamic extremists. Their targets included foreign civilians—Westerners affiliated with its oil-based economy—as well as Saudi Arabian civilians and security forces. Anti-Western attacks have occurred in Saudi Arabia dating back to 1995. Saudi Arabia itself has been accused of funding terrorism in other countries, including Syria.

Terrorism in Syria has a long history dating from the state-terrorism deployed by the Ba'athist government since its seizure of power through a violent coup in 1963. The Ba'athist government have since deployed various types of state terrorism; such as ethnic cleansing, forced deportations, massacres, summary executions, mass rapes and other forms of violence to maintain its totalitarian rule in Syria. The most extensive use of state terrorism in the 20th century was, the state deployed extensive violence against civilians, such as the case of 2004 Qamishli massacre. When Arab Spring spread to Syria in 2011, the Ba'athist security apparatus launched a brutal crackdown against peaceful protestors calling for freedom and dignity, which killed thousands of civilians and deteriorated the crisis into a full-scale civil war. Taking advantage of the situation, transnational Jihadist groups like Islamic State and al-Nusra began to emerge in Syria as the war escalated, some of which emulated the deadly terrorist tactics of the Assad regime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qaa</span> Place in Baalbek-Hermel, Lebanon

Qaa, El Qaa, Al Qaa, Qaa Baalbek or Masharih al-Qaa is a town in Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, Lebanon. A 2010 report stated that population of the settlement was 500, all Lebanese Maronites

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide attack</span> Violent attack in which the attacker accepts their own death

A suicide attack is a deliberate attack in which the perpetrators knowingly sacrifice their own lives as part of the attack. These attacks are often associated with terrorism or military conflicts and are considered a form of murder–suicide. Suicide attacks involving explosives are commonly referred to as suicide bombings. In the context of terrorism, they are also commonly referred to as suicide terrorism. While generally not inherently regulated under international law, suicide attacks in their execution often violate international laws of war, such as prohibitions against perfidy or targeting civilians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdullah Azzam Brigades</span> Islamist militant group

The Abdullah Azzam Brigades, or al-Qaeda in Lebanon, is a Sunni Islamist militant group, and al-Qaeda's branch in Lebanon. The group, which began operating in 2009, was founded by Saudi Saleh Al-Qaraawi and has networks in various countries, mainly in Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Burgas bus bombing</span> Suicide attack at the Burgas Airport in Burgas, Bulgaria

The 2012 Burgas bus bombing was a terrorist attack carried out by a suicide bomber on a passenger bus transporting Israeli tourists at the Burgas Airport in Burgas, Bulgaria, on 18 July 2012. The bus was carrying 42 Israelis, mainly youths, from the airport to their hotels, after arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv. The explosion killed the Bulgarian bus driver and five Israelis and injured 32 Israelis, resulting in international condemnation of the bombing.

The Lebanese–Syrian border clashes were a series of clashes on the Lebanon–Syria border caused by the ongoing Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Iranian embassy bombing in Beirut</span> 2013 Sunni Islamist terror bombing in Beirut, Lebanon

The 2013 Iranian embassy bombing in Beirut was a double suicide bombing that occurred in front of the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon on 19 November 2013. The two bombings resulted in 23 deaths and injured at least 160 others.

On 10 January 2015, nine people were killed and more than 30 wounded when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowded café in Jabal Mohsen, Tripoli, Lebanon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Beirut bombings</span> Suicide bombings in Beirut, Lebanon

On 12 November 2015, two suicide bombers detonated explosives in Bourj el-Barajneh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, that is inhabited mostly by Shia Muslims. Reports of the number of fatalities concluded that 43 people died directly from the detonation. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attacks.

This article contains a timeline of events from January 2015 to December 2015 related to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS). This article contains information about events committed by or on behalf of the Islamic State, as well as events performed by groups who oppose them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 2016 Istanbul bombing</span> ISIL suicide bombing in Turkey

On 12 January 2016, a suicide attack in Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district killed 13 people, all foreigners, and injured 14 others. The attack occurred at 10:20 local time, near the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, an area popular among tourists. The attacker was Nabil Fadli, a Syrian member of the Islamic State.

This is a timeline of events during the War in Iraq in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brussels Islamic State terror cell</span> Group who carried out Paris and Brussels terrorist attacks

The Brussels Islamic State terror cell was a group involved in large-scale terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015 and Brussels in March 2016. The terror cell was connected to the Islamic State (IS), a jihadist terrorist organisation primarily based in Syria and Iraq.

On 4 July 2016, four suicide bombs exploded in three locations in Saudi Arabia. One of these exploded in the parking lots of the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, killing at least four people. The second and third suicide bombers targeted a Shia mosque in Qatif, but they failed to harm anyone but themselves. A fourth militant blew himself up after police tried to arrest him near the U.S. consulate in Jeddah. Two Saudi Arabian police officers were injured.

On 3 June 2019, a gunman killed four security members—two police officers and two soldiers—in Tripoli, Lebanon. The attacker was a recent member of the militant group Islamic State (ISIS), but no group claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack took place when security forces were dispatched to the city's streets to ensure citizen safety at the end of the Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holidays. The attacker was identified by the authorities and the Lebanese army as Abdel Rahman Mabsout; he was a former ISIS member who had participated in the Syrian Civil War against the Syrian government. He was detained and tried for fighting for ISIS when he returned from Syria in 2016 but was released after a year in jail in late 2017.

References

  1. "Lebanon army detains 100 Syrians after Qaa bombings". BBC News. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  2. Kullab, Samya. "Terror Attacks Test Lebanon's Welcome for Syrian Refugees". www.worldpoliticsreview.com. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  3. "Lebanese Christian village hit with eight suicide attacks in one day – Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  4. Hubbard, Ben; Saad, Hwaida (28 June 2016). "Elaborate Suicide Attack Hits Christian Village in Lebanon". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  5. "Second wave of suicide attacks hits Lebanon village". Aljazeera. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  6. "Heightened terror threat in Lebanon after suicide attacks near Syria". The Guardian. Beirut. Reuters. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  7. "Lebanon army detains 100 Syrians after Qaa bombings". BBC News. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  8. "Aftermath of the al-Qaa Terrorist Attack: Shifts in Lebanese Politics". The Washington Institute. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  9. "6/27/2016 – Qaa Attack". www.travelinsured.com. Retrieved 4 July 2022.