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Car bomb

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The result of a car bombing during the Iraq War

A car bomb, bus bomb, van bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED),[1] is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles.

Car bombs can be roughly divided into two main categories: those used primarily to kill the occupants of the vehicle (often as an assassination) and those used as a means to kill, injure or damage people and buildings outside the vehicle. The latter type may be parked (the vehicle disguising the bomb and allowing the bomber to get away), or the vehicle might be used to deliver the bomb (often as part of a suicide bombing).

It is commonly used as a weapon of terrorism or guerrilla warfare to kill people near the blast site or to damage buildings or other property.[2] Car bombs act as their own delivery mechanisms and can carry a relatively large amount of explosives without attracting suspicion. In larger vehicles and trucks, weights of around 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) or more have been used, for example, in the Oklahoma City bombing.[3] Car bombs are activated in a variety of ways, including opening the vehicle's doors, starting the engine, remote detonation, depressing the accelerator or brake pedals, or simply lighting a fuse or setting a timing device.[4] The gasoline in the vehicle's fuel tank may make the explosion of the bomb more powerful by dispersing and igniting the fuel.

History

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Mario Buda's improvised wagon used in the 1920 Wall Street bombing is considered a prototype of the car bomb.[5]

The first non-suicide car bombing "fully conceptualized as a weapon of urban warfare" came January 12, 1947 when Lehi (also known as Stern Gang), a Zionist paramilitary organization, bombed the Haifa police station.[5]

In the fall of 2005, there were 140 car bombings happening per month.[5]

Car bombs are preceded by the 16th century hellburners, explosive-laden ships which were used to deadly effect by the besieged Dutch forces in Antwerp against the besieging Spanish. Though using a less refined technology, the basic principle of the hellburner is similar to that of the car bomb.[according to whom?]

Car bombs would start out with animals such as horses and cows, then it eventually emerged into a car.[5]

The first reported suicide car bombing (and possibly the first suicide bombing) was the Bath School bombings of 1927, where 45 people, including the bomber, were killed and half of a school was destroyed.[according to whom?]

Mass-casualty suicide car bombings are predominantly associated with the Middle East, particularly in recent decades. A notable suicide car bombing was the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, when two simultaneous attacks killed 241 U.S. and 58 French peacekeepers. The perpetrator of these attacks has never been positively confirmed. In the Lebanese Civil War, an estimated 3,641 car bombs were detonated.[6] The tactic was adopted by Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad,[7][8] especially during the Second Intifada (2000–2005).[9][10][11]

While not an adaptation of a people-carrying vehicle, the WW2 German Goliath remote control mine, shares many parallels with a vehicle-based IED. It approached a target (often a tank or another armoured vehicle) at some speed, and then exploded, destroying itself and the target. It was armoured so that it could not be destroyed en route. However, it was not driven by a person, instead operated by remote control from a safe distance.[12]

Prior to the 20th century, bombs planted in horse carts had been used in assassination plots, notably in the unsuccessful "machine infernale" attempt to kill Napoleon on 24 December 1800.[according to whom?]

The first car bomb may have been the one used for the assassination attempt on Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1905 in Istanbul by Armenian separatists in the command of Papken Siuni belonging to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.[according to whom?]

Car bombing was a significant part of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) campaign during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Dáithí Ó Conaill is credited with introducing the car bomb to Northern Ireland.[13] Car bombs were also used by Ulster loyalist groups (for example, by the UVF during the Dublin and Monaghan bombings).[14][15][16]

PIRA Chief of Staff Seán Mac Stíofáin defines the car bomb as both a tactical and a strategic guerrilla warfare weapon. Strategically, it disrupts the ability of the enemy government to administer the country, and hits simultaneously at the core of its economic structure by means of massive destruction. From a tactical point of view, it ties down a large number of security forces and troops around the main urban areas of the region in conflict.[17]

As a delivery system

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Car bomb in Iraq, made up of a number of artillery shells concealed in the back of a pickup truck.

Car bombs are effective weapons as they are an easy way to transport a large number of explosives to the intended target. A car bomb also produces copious shrapnel, or flying debris, and secondary damage to bystanders and buildings. In recent years, car bombs have become widely used by suicide bombers.[18][19][20]

Countermeasures

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Defending against a car bomb involves keeping vehicles at a distance from vulnerable targets by using roadblocks and checkpoints, Jersey barriers, concrete blocks or bollards, metal barriers, or by hardening buildings to withstand an explosion. The entrance to Downing Street in London has been closed since 1991 in reaction to the Provisional Irish Republican Army campaign, preventing the general public from getting near Number 10. Where major public roads pass near buildings, road closures may be the only option (thus, for instance, in Washington, D.C. the portion of Pennsylvania Avenue immediately in front of the White House is closed to traffic). Historically these tactics have encouraged potential bombers to target "soft" or unprotected targets, such as markets.[21]

Suicide usage

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In the Iraqi and Syrian Civil War, the car bomb concept was modified so that it could be driven and detonated by a driver but armoured to withstand incoming fire. The vehicle would be driven to its target area, in a similar fashion to a kamikaze plane of WW2.[22] These were known by the acronym SVBIED (from Suicide Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device) or VBIEDs. This saw generally civilian cars with armour plating added, that would protect the car for as long as possible, so that it could reach its intended target.[22] Cars were sometimes driven into enemy troop areas, or into incoming enemy columns.[23] Most often, the SVBIEDs were used by ISIL against Government forces, but also used by Syrian rebels (FSA and allied militias, especially the Al-Nusra Front) against government troops.[24]

The vehicles have become more sophisticated, with armour plating on the vehicle, protected vision slits, armour plating over the wheels so they would withstand being shot at, and also in some cases, additional metal grating over the front of the vehicle designed to crush or destroy shaped charges such as those used on rocket propelled grenades.[25]

A mock explosion of a pickup truck converted to SVBIED, used by U.S. marines for OPFOR purposes at Camp Pendleton

In some cases, trucks were also used as well as cars. They were sometimes used to start an assault. Generally, the vehicles had a large space that would contain very heavy explosives.[26] In some cases, animal drawn carts with improvised explosive devices have been used, generally either mules or horses.[27][28] Tactically, a single vehicle may be used, or an initial "breakthrough" vehicle, then followed by another vehicle.[29]

While many car bombs are disguised as ordinary vehicles,[30] some that are used against military forces have improvised vehicle armour attached to prevent the driver from being shot when attacking a fortified outpost.[31]

Car bombs were also a very effective method for terrorists because car bombs are so cheap. Many deaths could occur with just one bomb, and it would only cost about $500 along with a stolen car. In war, money is an important thing for both sides, so this was a very effective method.[5]

Operation

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TSA officers view the post-blast remains of a Dodge Neon after an explosive was detonated inside it during training.

Car bombs and detonators function in a diverse manner of ways and there are numerous variables in the operation and placement of the bomb within the vehicle. Earlier and less advanced car bombs were often wired to the car's ignition system, but this practice is now considered more laborious and less effective than other more recent methods, as it requires a greater amount of work for a system that can often be quite easily defused. While it is more common nowadays for car bombs to be fixed magnetically to the underside of the car, underneath the passenger or driver's seat, or inside of the mudguard, detonators triggered by the opening of the vehicle door or by pressure applied to the brakes or accelerating pedals are also used.[4]

Bombs operating by the former method of fixation to the underside of the car more often than not make use of a device called a tilt fuse. A small tube made of glass or plastic, the tilt fuse is similar in operation to a mercury switch or medical tablet tube. One end of the fuse will be filled with mercury, while the other open end is wired with the ends of an open circuit to an electrical firing system. When the tilt fuse moves or is jerked, the supply of mercury will flow to the top of the tube and close the circuit. Thus, as the vehicle goes through the regular bumping and dipping that comes with driving over a terrain, the circuit is completed, and the explosive is detonated.[4]

Car bombs are effective as booby traps because they also leave very little evidence. When an explosion happens, it is difficult for forensics to find any evidence because things either denigrate or become charred.[5]

As a safety mechanism to protect the bomber, the placer of the bomb may rig a timing device incorporated with the circuit to activate the circuit only after a certain time period, therefore ensuring the bomber will not accidentally activate the bomb before they are able to get clear of the blast radius.[4]

Even though right now car bombs are supposed to be stealth weapons that cause a good deal of damage, it is feared that they can become bigger, more lethal weapons such as the size of a trailer, making huge explosions and causing plenty of damage.[5]

Examples

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20th century

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Vietcong car bombing aftermath scene in Saigon, 1965.

21st century

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Groups that use car bombs

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West Asia

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A 2005 car bombing in Iraq, in which a second car bomb was detonated while US forces were investigating the scene of an earlier such blast, resulting in 18 casualties.

Americas

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Europe

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South Asia

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  • Militants and criminals in India occasionally utilize car bombs in attacks. This includes Muslim, Sikh, Kashmiri and Naxalite militants, as well as rival politicians within the government and organized crime. A notable recent attack was the 25 August 2003 Mumbai bombings, in which two car bombs killed 54 people. The attack was claimed by the Pakistani-backed Kashmiri separatist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
  • The Pakistani Taliban have occasionally used car bombs in their ongoing conflict with the government of Pakistan.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Kaaman 2019, pp. 1−3.
  2. ^ Jha, Rajshekhar (17 February 2019). "Why car bombs are worrying our forces". The Economic Times. ProQuest 2181845864.
  3. ^ "The Oklahoma City Bombing 20 Years Later". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Wilkinson, Paul; Christop Harman (1993). Technology and terrorism. Routledge. ISBN 0-7146-4552-4.[page needed]
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Davis, Mike (2019). "The First Car Bomb". Transforming Terror. pp. 32–33. doi:10.1525/9780520949454-011. ISBN 978-0-520-94945-4.
  6. ^ "The Atlas Group and Walid Raad - Cornerhouse". Archived from the original on 29 December 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Comprehensive Listing of Terrorism Victims in Israel". 2024-04-11. Archived from the original on 2024-04-11. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  8. ^ "Major Palestinian Terror Attacks Since Oslo". 2024-04-08. Archived from the original on 2024-04-08. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  9. ^ Davis, Mike (2017-01-17). Buda's Wagon: A Brief History of the Car Bomb. Verso Books. ISBN 978-1-78478-665-6.
  10. ^ Nelson, Cary (2016-07-11). Dreams Deferred: A Concise Guide to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict & the Movement to Boycott Israel. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-02518-0.
  11. ^ "Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  12. ^ Lepage 2014, pp. 164−166.
  13. ^ "1973 files reveal senior general's talks with IRA leader". TheGuardian.com. January 2004. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  14. ^ "The Lewiston Daily Sun - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  15. ^ "CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1969". cain.ulster.ac.uk.
  16. ^ "February 2014". Come Here To Me!.
  17. ^ McStiofáin, Seán (1975). Revolutionary in Ireland. G. Cremonesi. p. 243.
  18. ^ "2015: an epidemic of suicide bombs | AOAV". AOAV. Action on Armed Violence. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017.
  19. ^ Holly, Williams (March 5, 2017). "Reports of suicide car bombs, possible exposure to chemical weapons in Mosul fight". CBS News. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017.
  20. ^ David, Enders (23 June 2015). "Car Bombs Have Become the Islamic State's Assault 'Weapon of Choice' | VICE News". VICE News. Archived from the original on 2017-09-21.
  21. ^ See Davis.[full citation needed]
  22. ^ a b Kaaman 2019, p. 3.
  23. ^ Kaaman 2019, p. 4.
  24. ^ Kaaman 2020, pp. 1−13.
  25. ^ Trends Institution "Daeshis-armored-vehicle-borne IED" "Daesh/IS Armored Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (AVBIEDs): Insurgent Use and Terrorism Potentials | TRENDS". Archived from the original on 2016-10-30. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  26. ^ a b Kaaman 2019, p. 5.
  27. ^ Armistead 2013, pp. 39−40.
  28. ^ Barron, James (17 September 2003). "After 1920 Blast, The Opposite Of 'Never Forget'; No Memorials on Wall St. For Attack That Killed 30". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  29. ^ Kaaman 2019, p. 6.
  30. ^ Olson, Dean (2012). Tactical Counterterrorism the Law Enforcement Manual of Terrorism Prevention. Springfield: Charles C Thomas. ISBN 9780398087234. p.166
  31. ^ "Take a look inside an armoured Islamic State car bomb". ABC News. 2 December 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-12-03.
  32. ^ Car bomb kills Northern Ireland lawyer Archived 2009-09-09 at the Wayback Machine BBC News, 15 March 1999.
  33. ^ Taylor, Peter (1999). Loyalists. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 125–126. ISBN 0-7475-4519-7.
  34. ^ Lettieri, Mike (1 June 2007). "Posada Carriles, Bush's Child of Scorn". Washington Report on the Hemisphere. 27 (7/8).
  35. ^ Bergmen, Ronan (23 January 2018). "How Arafat Eluded Israel's Assassination Machine". The New York Times. New York Times Magazine.
  36. ^ Kifner, John (October 2, 1981). "BOMB AT P.L.O. OFFICE KILLS AT LEAST 50". The New York Times. New York Times.
  37. ^ "elmundo.es | Especial ETA: la dictadura del terror". www.elmundo.es. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009.
  38. ^ Davis, Mike (2017). "Car-Bomb University". Buda's Wagon: A Brief History of the Car Bomb. Verso Books. ISBN 978-1-78478-664-9.
  39. ^ "Kordic and Cerkez - Judgement - Part three: IV". www.icty.org. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  40. ^ Gardham, Duncan; Oscarsson, Marcus; Hutchison, Peter (12 December 2010). "Sweden suicide bomber: Taimur Abdulwahab al-Abdaly was living in Britain". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 21 January 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  41. ^ "HAQQANI NETWORK". www.dni.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  42. ^ "'Block-Buster' Truck Bomb One of the Biggest Ever". ABC News. 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  43. ^ Kemper, Bart (January 2019). Blast Modeling for Facility Security Management. ISEE 45th Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Techniques. p. 6.
  44. ^ "Daphne Caruana Galizia killed in Bidnija car blast". Times of Malta. 16 October 2017. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017.
  45. ^ "Liverpool explosion: Three arrested under Terrorism Act after car blast at hospital". BBC News. 15 November 2021.
  46. ^ Kilner, James (21 August 2022). "Daughter of 'Putin's Rasputin' Alexander Dugin killed in mystery Moscow car bomb". The Telegraph.
  47. ^ Roth, Andrew; Farrer, Martin (2022-08-21). "Daughter of Putin ally Alexander Dugin killed by car bomb in Moscow". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  48. ^ "Russia uses explosive-equipped armored vehicles to blow up Ukrainian positions". Militarnyi. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  49. ^ Axe, David. "The Russians Packed A Robotic T-55 Tank With Explosives And Rolled It Toward Ukrainian Lines". Forbes. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  50. ^ Newdick, Thomas (19 June 2023). "Ancient Russian T-54 Tank Turned Into Rolling Bomb Explodes In Massive Shockwave". The Drive. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  51. ^ Baker, Sinéad. "Ukraine hit Russia with one of its own prized tactics — turning an old, captured tank into a giant rolling bomb". Business Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  52. ^ Baker, Sinéad. "The guy who drove a rolling tank bomb at Russian soldiers jammed the accelerator down before jumping out of a hatch, Ukraine says". Business Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  53. ^ "A shooting range, a gun store, and a ladder purchase: Tracking the Trump rally gunman's movements leading up to his attack". CNN. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  54. ^ Daniel Swift (4 May 2007). "Explosive reading". Review of: Buda’s Wagon: A Brief History of the Car Bomb. Financial Times. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  55. ^ Ellingwood, Ken (21 October 2010). "Mexico arrests man alleged to have directed fatal Juarez car bomb attack". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  56. ^ "Car bomb explosion followed by shootout in Nuevo Laredo". KGBT-TV. 24 April 2012. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  57. ^ "Reafirma El Chapo presencia en Tamaulipas con coche bomba". Blog del Narco (in Spanish). 24 April 2012. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  58. ^ "Suman 23 ejecutados en Nuevo Laredo, entre decapitados y colgados". Proceso (in Spanish). 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  59. ^ "200lb of explosives in Derry car bomb". BBC News. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-08-22.
  60. ^ "SBU claims responsibility for 2022 Crimean Bridge attack". Yahoo News. 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  61. ^ "DI STRAGE IN STRAGE - la Repubblica.it". Archivio - la Repubblica.it (in Italian). 1992-07-21. Retrieved 2024-03-29.

References

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