Terrorism patterns: History and locations of deadly attacks on gatherings

Report by Nicole Hajal, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The recent onslaught at the Crocus City Hall in Russia, described as the deadliest in decades, has reignited discussions on the vulnerability of crowded venues to terrorist acts.

Such attacks, often driven by ideological motives, have historically targeted gatherings, including religious and cultural events, transportation hubs, and, to a lesser extent, political assemblies.

According to a study by the Global Terrorism Database conducted in 2021, why have religious celebrations been particularly prone to such assaults spanning from 1970 to 2019?

Since the 1970s, regions plagued by separatist, ethnic, or sectarian conflicts have been fertile ground for terrorist attacks. Some notable incidents include:

Pakistan, where sectarian bombings, particularly during Ashura commemorations, have claimed hundreds of lives.

Iraq, witnessing attacks on mosques and religious shrines. The most notable was the targeting of the shrines of Imams Ali al-Hadi and Hassan al-Askari in 2007 in Samarra, leading to a Shiite-Sunni strife in Iraq.

Egypt witnessed scenes of bombings targeting churches in Egyptian governorates, killing and wounding dozens. In 2017, more than 40 people were killed in two explosions targeting two Coptic churches in northern Egypt, for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Sanaa, Yemen, saw a coordinated suicide bombing in 2015 targeted worshippers, resulting in over 100 fatalities.

Nigeria, with church bombings across the country by Boko Haram, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda.

Concerts and music festivals rank second in the list of targeted events.

Why?

Firstly, the enclosed spaces often pose challenges for evacuations, compounded by limited exits.

Secondly, security measures in such venues are frequently weak.

Thirdly, terrorist organizations consider music and dancing as religious taboos.

Notable attacks on theaters and concert halls include:

The Moscow theater incident in 2002, where over 60 hostages were killed by Chechen militants.

The 2015 Bataclan theater attack in Paris by ISIS claimed nearly 90 lives.

The 2017 Manchester Arena bombing in the UK, also claimed by ISIS, targeted "worshippers of the cross."

In contrast, political rallies rank lower on the target list due to stringent security measures that terrorist groups find harder to breach.