List of terrorist incidents, 1983
Encyclopedia
This is a timeline of incidents in 1983 that have been labelled as "terrorism
" and are not believed to have been carried out by a government
or its forces (see state terrorism
and state-sponsored terrorism
).
February 5: A bomb blast in two office buildings, include Palestine Liberation Organization
office, Embassy of Libya and Jamahiriya News Agency
of Libya, Hamra
area, Lebanese
capital of Beirut
. Blame placed on Front for the Liberation of Lebanon from Foreigners terrorist group, which kills 20 with injures 60 people.Some have suggested that this was actually the work of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service February 5: A bomb blast in Banco de Vizcaya (present day of BBVA
) headquarter building, Gran Via
, Bilbao
, Biscay
, Spain, which responsibility for Basque
separatist group ETA
. Kills two with injures 8 people. March 9: In Belgrade
, two Armenia
n gunmen assassinate Galip Balkar
, Turkish ambassador to Yugoslavia
. One more person is killed and several more are wounded. Responsibility for the attack is assumed by the Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide
. April 3: Shining Path
militants kill 69 peasants in the Lucanamarca massacre
. and
United States April 18: 1983 United States Embassy bombing
takes place. A suicide car bomber stole a van carrying 2,000 pounds of explosives and slammed into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon killing 63 people including 18 Americans. May 20: Church Street bombing
by the Umkhonto we Sizwe
, the military wing of the African National Congress
, in the South Africa
n capital Pretoria
, killing 19 and wounded more than 200 July 15: Orly airport attack
. Turkish airlines
' counter in the Orly Airport
is bombed, killing eight people and wounding over 50. Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
claims responsibility and there is evidence that the orginzation was under KGB control. July 27: 1983 Turkish embassy attack in Lisbon
. 5 members of the Armenian Revolutionary Army
entered the Turkish embassy in Lisbon
, to reinvidicate the independence of Armenia. They arrived in explosive filled cars, invaded the building, wounding the Polícia de Segurança Pública
officer on duty for the embassy. The husband and son of the ambassador were taken as hostages. Then Prime-Minister Mário Soares
gave permission to the Grupo de Operações Especiais to assault the building. Meanwhile, one of the terrorists threatened to detonate the bombs. The GOE entered the building to find 7 bodies, the 5 terrorists, a police officer who tried to enter the embassy and the ambassador's wife. August 6: When a crowded during prayers, following bomb blast in Bakkar
mosque, Kubbeh area, Tripoli, Lebanon, which responsibility for FLLF terrorist group, with kills 25 and injures 43 people. August 8: A car bomb blast in local market in Baalbek
, Beqaa, Lebanon, blame placed on FLLF terrorist group. Kills 35 with injures 133 people. September 25: Thirty Eight IRA prisoners shoot their way out of the maximum security Long Kesh prison. A prison officer is killed and six others injured. September 23: Gulf Air Flight 771
is bombed, killing all 117 people on board. October 1: The Algerian pavilion at an international trade fair in Marseilles was bombed by the Charles Martel Group
. One person was killed and twenty-six were injured. October 9: Rangoon bombing
by North Koreans targets South Korean President Chun Doo Hwan, killing 21 persons and injuring 48. and United States and 
Early Modern France October 23: Marine Barracks Bombing occurs. A suicide car bomber in a truck carrying 2500 pounds of explosives crashed through the gates of a US Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon killing 241 American servicemen and wounding 81. 58 French troops from the multinational force are also killed in a separate attack. November 9: U.S. Senate bombing. A time bomb consisting of several sticks of dynamite
explodes at the United States Senate
in response to the U.S. invasion of Grenada
. No one was injured, a group known as the Armed Resistance Unit claims responsibility. December 17: Harrods
was bombed by the IRA. Six were killed (including three police officers) and 90 wounded during Christmas
shopping at the West London
department store. (See 17 December 1983 Harrods bombing) December 31: On the way to New Year's Eve seven persons are killed and 70 wounded by bombs on the Marseille
to Paris
TGV
and at the St-Charles station in Marseille
. The attack is attributed to Carlos on behalf of the O.L.A.
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
" and are not believed to have been carried out by a government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
or its forces (see state terrorism
State terrorism
State terrorism may refer to acts of terrorism conducted by a state against a foreign state or people. It can also refer to acts of violence by a state against its own people.-Definition:...
and state-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism is a term used to describe terrorism sponsored by nation-states. As with terrorism, the precise definition, and the identification of particular examples, are subjects of heated political dispute...
).
February 5: A bomb blast in two office buildings, include Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
office, Embassy of Libya and Jamahiriya News Agency
Jamahiriya News Agency
The Jamahiriya News Agency, also known as JANA, was the official state news agency of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. It was founded in 1964 as the Libyan News Agency by a royal decree, amended in 1970 after the coup d'état and fall of the Kingdom of Libya...
of Libya, Hamra
Hamra
Hamra may refer to:* Hamra, Bik'at HaYarden, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank* 9373 Hamra, a main-belt asteroid* Battle of Hamra al-Asad, a battle in 625 AD in which the prophet Muhammad took part...
area, Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
capital of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. Blame placed on Front for the Liberation of Lebanon from Foreigners terrorist group, which kills 20 with injures 60 people.Some have suggested that this was actually the work of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service February 5: A bomb blast in Banco de Vizcaya (present day of BBVA
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. is a multinational Spanish banking group. It was formed in 1999 from the merger of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya and Argentaria, both of which in turn had previously amalgamated three important banks in Spain, namely Banco de Bilbao, Banco de Vizcaya, Banco Exterior de...
) headquarter building, Gran Via
Gran Vía
Gran Vía is an ornate and upscale shopping street located in central Madrid. It leads from Calle de Alcalá, close to Plaza de Cibeles, to Plaza de España....
, Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, Spain, which responsibility for Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
separatist group ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
. Kills two with injures 8 people. March 9: In Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, two Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n gunmen assassinate Galip Balkar
Assassination of Galip Balkar
The assassination of Galip Balkar refers to the murder of the Turkish ambassador to Yugoslavia, Galip Balkar, on March 9, 1983.-Incident:Two Armenian gunmen opened fire with small firearms on his car, which stopped for a red light at a major downtown intersection in Belgrade. Balkar, 47, and his...
, Turkish ambassador to Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. One more person is killed and several more are wounded. Responsibility for the attack is assumed by the Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide
Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide
Justice Commandos against Armenian Genocide was a secret military organization that operated in various western nations from 1975 to 1987...
. April 3: Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
militants kill 69 peasants in the Lucanamarca massacre
Lucanamarca massacre
The Lucanamarca massacre was a massacre of 69 peasants in and around the town of Lucanamarca, Peru that took place on April 3, 1983. The massacre was perpetrated by the Shining Path, the Maoist guerrilla organization that launched the internal conflict in Peru....
. and
United States April 18: 1983 United States Embassy bombing1983 United States Embassy bombing
The 1983 U.S. embassy bombing was a suicide bombing against the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon on April 18, 1983 that killed over 60 people, mostly embassy staff members and United States Marines and sailors. It was the deadliest attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission up to that time, and is...
takes place. A suicide car bomber stole a van carrying 2,000 pounds of explosives and slammed into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon killing 63 people including 18 Americans. May 20: Church Street bombing
Church Street bombing
The Church Street bombing was a car bomb attack on 20 May 1983 by Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress, in the South African capital Pretoria...
by the Umkhonto we Sizwe
Umkhonto we Sizwe
Umkhonto we Sizwe , translated "Spear of the Nation," was the armed wing of the African National Congress which fought against the South African apartheid government. MK launched its first guerrilla attacks against government installations on 16 December 1961...
, the military wing of the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
, in the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n capital Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, killing 19 and wounded more than 200 July 15: Orly airport attack
Orly airport attack
The Orly Airport attack was the 15 July 1983 bombing of a Turkish Airlines check-in counter at Orly Airport in Paris, France, by the Armenian militant organization ASALA as part of its campaign for the recognition of and reparations for the Armenian Genocide...
. Turkish airlines
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Bakirköy district, Istanbul...
' counter in the Orly Airport
Orly Airport
Paris-Orly Airport is an airport located partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, south of Paris, France. It has flights to cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, North America and Southeast Asia. Prior to the construction of Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly was...
is bombed, killing eight people and wounding over 50. Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
The Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia or ASALA was an Armenian nationalist militant organization, that operated from 1975 to 1986. The group also operated under other names such as The Orly Group and the 3 October Organization...
claims responsibility and there is evidence that the orginzation was under KGB control. July 27: 1983 Turkish embassy attack in Lisbon
1983 Turkish embassy attack in Lisbon
The 1983 Turkish embassy attack was an attack on the Turkish embassy in Lisbon on 27 July 1983, which resulted in death of 7 people, including all 5 attackers.-Background:...
. 5 members of the Armenian Revolutionary Army
Armenian Revolutionary Army
The Armenian Revolutionary Army was a paramilitary organization, thought to be renamed from the group "Justice Commandos against Armenian Genocide". ARA attacked at least 7 times resulting in at least 6 fatalities and 8 injuries; its last attack occurred in 1985...
entered the Turkish embassy in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, to reinvidicate the independence of Armenia. They arrived in explosive filled cars, invaded the building, wounding the Polícia de Segurança Pública
Polícia de Segurança Pública
The Polícia de Segurança Pública - PSP is the Portuguese police force that works in large urban areas. Rural towns and areas are under the protection of the Portuguese Republican National Guard...
officer on duty for the embassy. The husband and son of the ambassador were taken as hostages. Then Prime-Minister Mário Soares
Mário Soares
Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, GColTE, GCC, GColL, KE , Portuguese politician, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the 17th President of Portugal from 1986 to 1996.-Family:...
gave permission to the Grupo de Operações Especiais to assault the building. Meanwhile, one of the terrorists threatened to detonate the bombs. The GOE entered the building to find 7 bodies, the 5 terrorists, a police officer who tried to enter the embassy and the ambassador's wife. August 6: When a crowded during prayers, following bomb blast in Bakkar
Bakkar
Bakkar is an Egyptian cartoon series that has been broadcast on Arabic TV stations during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan each year since the late 1990s. The series revolves around the adventures of a young Nubian-Egyptian boy named Bakkar, his pet goat Rashida, and his friends. Episodes tend to...
mosque, Kubbeh area, Tripoli, Lebanon, which responsibility for FLLF terrorist group, with kills 25 and injures 43 people. August 8: A car bomb blast in local market in Baalbek
Baalbek
Baalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude , situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire...
, Beqaa, Lebanon, blame placed on FLLF terrorist group. Kills 35 with injures 133 people. September 25: Thirty Eight IRA prisoners shoot their way out of the maximum security Long Kesh prison. A prison officer is killed and six others injured. September 23: Gulf Air Flight 771
Gulf Air Flight 771
Gulf Air Flight 771 was a flight from Karachi, Pakistan to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. On 23 September 1983, while the Boeing 737-2P6 was on approach to Abu Dhabi International Airport, a bomb exploded in the baggage compartment. The plane crashed in the desert near Mina Jebel Ali between Abu...
is bombed, killing all 117 people on board. October 1: The Algerian pavilion at an international trade fair in Marseilles was bombed by the Charles Martel Group
Charles Martel Group
The Charles Martel Group was a French far-right anti-Arab terrorist organization which operated in the 1970s and 1980s...
. One person was killed and twenty-six were injured. October 9: Rangoon bombing
Rangoon bombing
The Rangoon bombing of October 9, 1983, was an assassination attempt against Chun Doo-hwan, the then-President of South Korea, allegedly orchestrated by North Korea. Two of the bombers were captured, one of whom confessed to being a North Korean military officer.-Bombing:On October 9, 1983,...
by North Koreans targets South Korean President Chun Doo Hwan, killing 21 persons and injuring 48. and
United States and Early Modern France October 23: Marine Barracks Bombing occurs. A suicide car bomber in a truck carrying 2500 pounds of explosives crashed through the gates of a US Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon killing 241 American servicemen and wounding 81. 58 French troops from the multinational force are also killed in a separate attack. November 9: U.S. Senate bombing. A time bomb consisting of several sticks of dynamiteDynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
explodes at the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in response to the U.S. invasion of Grenada
Invasion of Grenada
The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 United States-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 100,000 located north of Venezuela. Triggered by a military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government, the invasion...
. No one was injured, a group known as the Armed Resistance Unit claims responsibility. December 17: Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
was bombed by the IRA. Six were killed (including three police officers) and 90 wounded during Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
shopping at the West London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
department store. (See 17 December 1983 Harrods bombing) December 31: On the way to New Year's Eve seven persons are killed and 70 wounded by bombs on the Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
and at the St-Charles station in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. The attack is attributed to Carlos on behalf of the O.L.A.