List of Terrorist Incidents in France from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia

List of terrorist incidents in France From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of terrorist attacks in France in peacetime from 1800 to the present. Several 19th-century French rulers were targeted in unsuccessful assassination attempts which killed innocent bystanders. Since 1961, more than 250 people have been killed and over 600 injured in terrorist attacks carried out by a variety of groups from the extreme right, extreme left, extreme Basque, Breton and Corsican nationalists, Algerian insurgent groups and Islamist extremists.[1]

Most of the attacks have been bombings utilising improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Anarchists carried out a series of bombings and assassination attempts in the 19th century. A number of attacks associated with the Algerian War took place in the 1950s and 1960s, including the deadliest terrorist attack in France in the 20th century, the 1961 Vitry-Le-François train bombing carried out by the pro-colonialist French nationalist Organisation de l'armée secrète. Various Middle Eastern factions carried out shootings and bombings in the 1970s and 1980s, principally in Paris, while during the Algerian Civil War of the 1990s, insurgents from the Etching of the December 1800 Armed Islamic Group carried out a series of major attacks against the Paris public transport system. Nationalist extremists from attack of the plot of the rue the Basque, Breton and Corsican communities carried out a number of assassinations and targeted bomb attacks in the 1990s Saint-Nicaise and 2000s. Islamist extremists have carried out several shooting, stabbing and bomb attacks in the 2010s, of which the November 2015 Paris attacks have been the bloodiest to date.

Outside France, the worst terrorist attack in terms of the number of French victims was the 19 September 1989 bombing of UTA Flight 772 over Niger, in which 170 people died, 54 of them French citizens.[2]

Contents

1 19th century

2 20th century

3 21st century

4 See also

5 References

19th century

Date Type Dead Injured Location and description 24 December 1800 Bombing 22 50+ Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise, an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Napoleon Bonaparte in Paris.[2][3] Unsuccessful attempt by Giuseppe Mario Fieschi to assassinate King Louis Philippe I using an "infernal device", 28 July 1835 Shooting 18 22 essentially an improvised multi-barrelled gun.[2][4] 14 January 1858 Bombing 8 106 Unsuccessful attempt by Italian nationalist Felice Orsini to assassinate Napoleon III.[2][5] The anarchist Émile Henry placed a bomb at the offices of the Carmaux Mining Company, killing five police officers 8 November 1892 Bombing 5 0 after it was discovered and transported to a police station.[6] The anarchist Auguste Vaillant threw a home-made bomb into the French Chamber of Deputies from the public 9 December 1893 Bombing 0 1 gallery, injuring one deputy.[7] 12 February 1894 Bombing 1 20 French anarchist Émile Henry detonated a bomb at the Café Terminus in the Parisian Gare Saint-Lazare.[8] Assassination of the President of the French Republic, Sadi Carnot by the Italian anarchist Sante Geronimo 24 June 1894 Stabbing 1 0 Caserio, in revenge for the execution of Vaillant.[9]

20th century

Date Type Dead Injured Location and description Assassination of Jean Jaurès a socialist leader and a committed antimilitarist, at the outbreak of World War I, 31 July 1914 Shooting 1 0 in a Parisian cafe, by a French nationalist Raoul Villain.[10] Assassination of Alexander I of Yugoslavia and French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou in Marseille, by a 9 October 1934 Shooting 6 5 Bulgarian revolutionary Vlado Chernozemski.[11] Assassination of Dimitri Navachine, former governor of the BCEN, a Soviet-controlled bank in Paris, by an 23 January 1937 Stabbing 1 0 extreme-right group La Cagoule. Assassination of two Italian antifascists, the Rosseli Brothers (Nello and Carlo) by La Cagoule in Bagnoles-de- 9 June 1937 Shooting 2 0 l'Orne, probably on the orders of Mussolini. Bomb attack by La Cagoule against the Union des industries et métiers de la métallurgie and the 11 September 1937 Bombing 2 0 "Confédération générale du patronat français" to create the impression of a communist conspiracy.[12] Unsuccessful attempt by National Liberation Front (Algeria) to assassinate the French Information Minister 15 September 1958 Shooting 1 3 Jacques Soustelle on the Place de l'Etoile in Paris. 1961 Vitry-Le-François train bombing carried out by the Organisation de l'armée secrète, which caused a fast 18 June 1961 Bombing 28 100+ Strasbourg–Paris train to derail; until 2015, the worst terrorist attack in modern French history.[1][13] 22 January 1962 Bombing 1 12 Bomb attack against the Quai d'Orsay, carried out by the OAS.[13] 9 March 1962 Bombing 3 47 Car bomb attack in Issy-les-Moulineaux, carried out by the OAS.[13] 14 December 1973 Bombing 4 20 Bomb attack against the Algerian consulate in Marseille by the far-right Charles Martel Group.[1] Bomb attack against the Spanish consulate in Toulouse by Revolutionary Internationalist Action Groups 28 July 1974 Bombing 0 12 (GARI). 15 September 1974 Bombing 2 34 Grenade attack on the Drugstore Saint-Germain-des-Prés, allegedly by Carlos the Jackal.[14] RPG 13-19 January 1975 0 24 Two failed rocket propelled grenade attacks on El Al airplanes at Orly Airport by Carlos the Jackal. attack 9 March 1975 Bombing 1 6 Bomb attack in the Gare de l'Est. Hostage 31 July 1975 1 2 Hostage taking at the Iraqi embassy in Paris, carried out by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). taking A group of Armenian militants ambushed the car of Turkish Ambassador İsmail Erez killing him and his 24 October 1975 Shooting 2 0 chauffeur. Both ASALA and JCAG claimed responsibility. 20 May 1978 Shooting 4 5 Three terrorists open fire on El Al passengers in the departure lounge of Orly Airport south of Paris.[15] Assassination of the PLO representative in Paris, Izz al-Din al-Kalak and one of his assistants, by the Abu Nidal 3 August 1978 Shooting 2 0 Organization. Bomb attack against a university restaurant in a Jewish student hostel in Paris claimed by an Anti-Zionist 27 March 1979 Bombing 0 32 group.[15] 23 December 1979 Shooting 1 0 Assassination of Turkish attaché for tourism in France, Yılmaz Çolpan on the Champs Elysées by the JCAG. Assassination of the director of the Palestinian library-shop in Paris, Yusef Mubarak, by the Abu Nidal 17 January 1980 Shooting 1 0 Organization. 29 January 1980 Bombing 1 8 Bomb attack against the Syrian Embassy in Paris. 21 July 1980 Shooting 1 0 Assassination of former Prime Minister of Syria, Salah al-Bitar in his newspaper office in Paris. 1980 Turkish Consulate attack in Lyon, carried out by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia 5 August 1980 Shooting 2 11 (ASALA). 1980 Paris synagogue bombing against the synagogue of the French Israeli Liberal Union on rue Copernic, 3 October 1980 Bombing 2 34 Paris.[1] Assassination of the Turkish Labour Attaché, Reşat Moralı, and the Religious Affairs Officer in the Turkish 4 March 1981 Shooting 2 1 Embassy, Tecelli Arı by two gunmen of ASALA in Paris. 29 August 1981 Bombing 0 15 Bomb attack by a Palestinian group in the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris. Hostage 24-25 September 1981 1 2 1981 Turkish consulate attack in Paris, carried out by ASALA. taking Assassination of the United States Assistant Army Attaché (Charles R. Ray), carried out by the Lebanese 18 January 1982 Shooting 1 0 Armed Revolutionary Faction. 29 March 1982 Bombing 5 29 Bomb attack against the "Capitole" train between Paris and Toulouse, attributed to Carlos the Jackal.[1] Assassination of an Israeli embassy advisor (Yaacov Barsimentov) in Paris, carried out by the Lebanese Armed 3 April 1982 Shooting 1 0 Revolutionary Faction. Car bomb attack outside the Parisian offices of anti-Syrian newspaper Al-Watan Al-Arabi, attributed to Carlos 22 April 1982 Bombing 1 60 the Jackal.[14] 21 July 1982 Bombing 0 15 Bomb attack in a terrace café on the Place Saint-Michel in Paris, carried out by ASALA. Goldenberg restaurant attack on the Rue des Rosiers in Paris, attributed to the Abu Nidal Organization 9 August 1982 Shooting 6 22 (ANO).[1] Bomb attack against an Israeli diplomat in front of the Israeli consulate and the Lycée Carnot, claimed by 17 September 1982 Bombing 0 51 FARL and Action Directe.[15] 28 February 1983 Bombing 1 4 Bomb attack in an office of the Turkish travel agency Marmara in Paris, carried out by ASALA.[16] 15 July 1983 Bombing 8 56 Orly Airport attack, carried out by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA).[1][16] Bomb attack during the Marseille International Fair Trade. Action Directe, FARL, ASALA and Commando Delta 30 September 1983 Bombing 1 26 claimed responsibility.[16] Bombing of a TGV fast train between Marseille and Paris and the Saint Charles train station in Marseille, 31 December 1983 Bombing 5 13 attributed to Carlos the Jackal.[14] Assassination of Gholam Ali Oveisi, a former military governor of Tehran, and his brother in Paris where they 7 February 1984 Shooting 2 1 were in exile. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility . Assassination of the United Arab Emirates' ambassador to France, Khalifa Abdel Aziz al-Mubarak on a Paris 8 February 1984 Shooting 1 0 street, attributed to the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO). 2 August 1984 Bombing 0 6 Bombing of the European Space Agency headquarters in Paris, by Action Directe. 25 January 1985 Shooting 1 0 Assassination of René Audran, senior official of the French Ministry of Defence, by Action Directe. 23 February 1985 Bombing 1 14 Bomb attack against the Marks & Spencer store in boulevard Haussmann, attributed to the Hezbollah.[17][18] Bomb attack against the Rivoli Beaubourg cinema in Paris during a Jewish film festival, attributed to the 29 March 1985 Bombing 0 18 Hezbollah.[15][17][19] Monbar Hotel attack in Bayonne, in which four members of ETA whom believed to be senior figures in the 25 September 1985 Shooting 4 1 organisation are killed by the Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación (GAL). 7 December 1985 Bombing 0 43 Double bomb attack against the Printemps Haussmann store in Paris, attributed to the Hezbollah.[17][18] Three bomb attacks in 3 days against the Claridge Hotel on the Champs-Élysées, a bookshop on the Place 3-5 February 1986 Bombings 1 35 Saint-Michel and a Fnac store on Les Halles by the CSPPA and Hezbollah.[17][18] 20 March 1986 Bombing 2 29 Bomb attack against the Point Show gallery on the Champs-Élysées by the CSPPA and Hezbollah.[17] 9 July 1986 Bombing 1 21 Bombing of the Brigade de répression du banditisme office in Paris, by Action Directe. 4 bomb attacks against a post office in the Hôtel de Ville, a Casino caféteria in La Défense, a restaurant on the 5-15 September 1986 Bombings 5 131 Champs-Élysées and an office in the Préfecture de police by the CSPPA and Hezbollah.[17] 17 September 1986 Bombing 7 55 Bomb attack against the Tati store on rue de Rennes in Paris, attributed to the CSPPA and Hezbollah.[1] 17 November 1986 Shooting 1 0 Assassination of Georges Besse, CEO of Renault, by Action Directe.[10] 1988 attack on Saint-Michel cinema in Paris carried out by an integrist Catholic group to protest against the 22 October 1988 Arson 0 14 showing of The Last Temptation of Christ. 24 December 1994 Hijacking 7 25 Hijacking of Air France Flight 8969 by members of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA).[1] July-October 1995 Bombings 8 140+ 1995 Paris Métro and RER bombings, 8 bomb attacks carried out by the Armed Islamic Group.[1] 1996 Paris Métro bombing. Bomb attack against the RER B Gare de Port-Royal in Paris, attributed to the 3 December 1996 Bombing 4 170 Armed Islamic Group.[1] 8 February 1998 Shooting 1 0 Assassination of Claude Érignac, prefect of Corsica, by Corsican nationalists.[1]

21st century

Date Type Dead Injured Location and description Bomb attack against a branch of McDonald's in Quévert, Brittany, attributed to extreme Breton 19 April 2000 Bombing 1 0 nationalists.[1] Double attack against the regional directorates of customs and the treasury in Nice, claimed by the 20 July 2003 Bombing 0 16 National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC).[1] 8 October 2004 Bombing 0 10 Bomb attack against the Indonesian Embassy in Paris, claimed by the Front islamique français armé. Killing of two members of the Spanish Civil Guard carrying out surveillance against ETA members in 1 December 2007 Shooting 2 0 Capbreton, Landes.[1] Toulouse and Montauban shootings, murdering three French paratroopers, a French Rabbi and three 11-22 March 2012 Shooting 7 5 French schoolchildren (aged eight, six and three) carried out over a period of 11 days by Mohammed Merah.[1] 2013 La Défense attack by an Islamist knifeman against a French soldier in the Paris suburb of La 23 May 2013 Stabbing 0 1 Défense. 2014 Tours police station stabbing. A man yelling "Allahu Akbar" attacked a police office in Joué-lès- 20 December 2014 Stabbing 0 3 Tours with a knife. He was killed and 3 police officers were injured. 21 December 2014 Vehicle ramming 0 11 2014 Dijon attack. A man yelling "Allahu Akbar" ran over 11 pedestrians with his vehicle. 2014 Nantes attack. A man yelling "Allahu Akbar" ran over 10 pedestrians with his vehicle, killing one, 22 December 2014 Vehicle ramming 1 10 then attempted suicide. January 2015 Île-de-France attacks, a mass shooting at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo office in Paris, carried out by Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, two Islamist gunmen who identified themselves as [1] 7-9 January 2015 Shooting 20 22 belonging to Al-Qaeda in Yemen. During this period, a third Islamist gunman and close friend of the Kouachi brothers, Amedy Coulibaly was responsible for two shootings and an hostage taking at a Hypercacher kosher market. He said he synchronized his attacks with the Kouachi brothers. Coulibaly had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. 3 military men, guarding a Jewish community center in Nice, are attacked by Moussa Coulibaly (not 3 February 2015 Stabbing 0 3 related to the January Coulibaly attacks). Unsuccessful attack against 2 churches in Villejuif by an Algerian jihadist. He killed a woman probably 19 April 2015 Shooting 1 0 when trying to steal her car but accidentally shot himself in the leg, putting an end to his plans.[20] Saint-Quentin-Fallavier attack. An Islamist delivery driver probably linked to ISIS decapitated a man and 26 June 2015 Beheading 1 2 rammed a company van into gas cylinders at the Air Products gas factory in an attempt to blow up the building. Shooting and 2015 Thalys train attack. An attempted mass shooting occurred on a train traveling from Amsterdam to 21 August 2015 0 4 stabbing Paris. Four people were injured, including the assailant who was subdued by other passengers.[21] November 2015 Paris attacks. The single deadliest terrorist attack in French history. Multiple shooting and grenade attacks occurred on a Friday night; among the locations targeted were a music venue, Shootings, sports stadium and several bar and restaurant terraces. 90 persons were killed during a siege at an hostage taking 13-14 November 2015 130 352 Eagles of Death Metal concert inside the Bataclan. French president François Hollande evacuated from and suicide a football match between France and Germany at the Stade de France, slated venue for the UEFA Euro bombings 2016 Final, after three separate suicide bombings over the course of about 40 minutes. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks and President Hollande named the Paris attacks an "'act of war'".[22] A man rammed his car twice into 4 soldiers protecting a mosque in Valence. He said he wanted to kill 1 January 2016 Vehicle ramming 0 2 troops and jihadi propaganda images were found on his computer.[23] January 2016 Paris police station attack, a jihadist wearing a fake explosive belt attacked police officers in the Goutte d'Or district in Paris with a meat cleaver, while shouting "Allahu Akbar". He was shot dead 7 January 2016 Stabbing 0 1 and one policeman receiving injuries. The ISIS flag and a clearly written claim in Arabic, were found on the attacker.[24] Jewish teacher was stabbed in the streets of Marseille by a teenager jihadist who acted in the name of 11 January 2016 Stabbing 0 1 ISIS.