Today in Terrorism: October 21, 2002 bombing of bus in Israel

How many people take the bus to work in the morning (or you can substitute commuter train if it is appropriate)? I am guessing that the answer is a lot. It is environmentally-friendly in that it removes cars from the road and thus uses less fuel. And with the push for more electric buses we will be doing a lot to stave off cataclysmic climate change.

If you are like me on the bus you find a seat, pull out a book or a magazine, immerse yourself in it, and rarely look up (meaning you may actually miss your stop!). What you probably don’t do is maintain vigilance in case your ride is targeted by a terrorist.

That is exactly what happened on this day in 2002 in Israel at a place named Karkur Junction. A jeep rammed into the rear of the bus and exploded, killing seven soldiers and seven civilians, and wounding a further 50 people. The Al Quds Brigade of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed the attack.

Photo: Reuters

The Al Quds Brigade is devoted to the establishment of an Islamic state and the settlement of Palestinians in what it considers their rightful homeland within the geographic borders of the pre-1948 Palestine. In that it is much like other Islamist terrorist groups, some of which go further and demand the destruction of Israel as well.

Maybe in light of the frequency of attacks in Israel bus travelers are more vigilant. I am sure thankful my commute does not demand such attention.

Also on October 21 in history:

• 2008: at least 17 people were killed and 30 wounded by a bomb in Imphal, India planted by a Communist party angry at gambling during the religious festival of Diwali;
• 2012: a taxi rigged with explosives was detonated near a police station in Damascus’ mainly Christian district killing at least 13 people and injuring 29 others;
• 2013: a female suicide bomber attacked a bus in Volograd, killing six and wounding 30;
• 2018: at least eleven people, including six children and a woman, were killed and a toddler was seriously injured when a vehicle was hit by a bomb at the Achin district of the Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan (the toddler later died). No group claimed responsibility although the Islamic State affiliate is active in the area.