List of terrorist incidents in 2020


This is a list of terrorist incidents which took place in 2020, including attacks by violent non-state actors for political motives. Note that terrorism related to drug wars and cartel violence is not included in these lists. Ongoing military conflicts are listed separately.

Guidelines

Total incidents:
DateTypeDeadInjuredLocationDetailsPerpetratorPart of
9 JanuaryMass shooting89 6Filingue Department, NigerBattle of Chinagodrar: Militants on motorbikes and in cars attacked a military outpost at Chinagodrar in the Tillabéri Region near the border with Mali. 89 soldiers were killed, and six were injured in the attack. 77 militants were killed with help of French airstrikes. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack and released photos of the assault.Islamic State - West Africa ProvinceInsurgency in the Maghreb
10 JanuarySuicide bombing15 19Quetta, PakistanJanuary 2020 Quetta bombing: A suicide bombing in a Taliban-run mosque kills 14 civilians and a police officer. 19 others were injured in the attack. Islamic State claimed responsibility.Islamic State - Khorasan ProvinceInsurgency in Balochistan
18 JanuaryDrone and missile attack116148Ma'rib, Yemen2020 Ma'rib attack: A mosque on the grounds of a military training camp was targeted with drones and missiles during evening prayers when dozens of people were inside praying. 111 Yemeni soldiers and five civilians were killed and 148 were injured in the attack. The attack was blamed on the Houthis.Houthis Yemeni Civil War
18 JanuarySuicide car bombing4 20Afgooye, Somalia2020 Afgooye bombing: A suicide car bomber targeted a place where Turkish engineers and Somali police were having lunch in Afgooye, Lower Shabelle. 4 people were killed in the attack, and 20 were injured. Most of the casualties were police officers. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.Al-ShabaabSomali Civil War
31 JanuaryAttempted bombing00Lurgan, United KingdomBrexit Day bomb plot: On the day of Brexit, the Police Service of Northern Ireland was given two anonymous tips that a bomb inside a lorry would be on a ferry heading from Belfast Harbour to Cairnryan, Scotland. On 5 February 2020, the bomb was found inside a lorry in Lurgan, County Armagh. The police believe the Continuity IRA was responsible for the failed bomb attack.CIRA Dissident Irish republican campaign
2 FebruaryStabbing0 3London, United Kingdom2020 Streatham stabbing: A man stabbed three people in Streatham, London, seriously wounding one. The attacker was shot dead by Metropolitan Police authorised firearms officers outside the doors of a Boots store on Streatham High Road just after 14:00. The attacker, identified as Sudesh Mamoor Faraz Amman, was recently released from prison, after serving a sentence for terror offences.Sudesh Mamoor Faraz AmmanTerrorism in the United Kingdom
16 FebruaryShooting2418Yagha Province, Burkina FasoPansi church shooting: A group of 20 to 30 gunmen attacked the village of Pansi. 24 people, including a catechist were killed and 18 were wounded.Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin Insurgency in the Maghreb
19 FebruaryShootings10 5Hanau, Germany2020 Hanau shootings: The shootings took place at 10 p.m., in two shisha bars—one at the Midnight bar in Hanau's central square and the other at the Arena Bar & Café in the western Kesselstadt neighbourhood. Four people were killed in the first shooting, while five were killed in the second. He killed his mother in their apartment and then committed suicide. The police initiated a large-scale investigation together with the CID. The attacker, a 43-year-old neo-Nazi, expressed far-right views and hate for non-German people in a letter of confession and a video. Six of the people killed in the shisha bars shootings were foreigners, while three were Germans with foreign origins.Right-wing extremistRight-wing terrorism in Germany
24 FebruaryStabbing12Toronto, Canada2020 Toronto machete attack: A woman was stabbed to death and two other people were wounded in a stabbing attack at a massage parlor in the North York area of Toronto. A 17-year-old boy was arrested, and the attack was linked to a radical incel ideology.Incel ExtremistTerrorism in Canada
6 MarchMass shooting, missile attack32 82Kabul, Afghanistan6 March 2020 Kabul shooting: Gunmen attacked a ceremony commemorating the Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari in Kabul. The ceremony was attended by several high-profile politicians. At least 32 people were killed and over 60 injured, and both attackers were killed after a standoff. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack.Islamic State – Khorasan ProvinceWar in Afghanistan
23 MarchAmbush70+SeveralBorno State, NigeriaMarch 2020 Chad and Nigeria massacres: Suspected Boko Haram insurgents ambushed Nigerian military vehicles with rocket propelled grenades near the village of Gorgi, located in Borno State. At least 70 Nigerian soldiers were killed in the ambush, and others were wounded or kidnapped.Boko HaramBoko Haram insurgency
25 MarchSuicide bombings, mass shooting, hostage taking25 9Kabul, AfghanistanKabul gurdwara attack: Multiple gunmen and suicide bombers opened fire on a gurdwara. The attack left 25 victims dead and multiple wounded. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility.Islamic State – Khorasan ProvinceWar in Afghanistan
28 AprilGrenade attack5350+Afrin, Syria2020 Afrin bombing: A grenade caused a fuel tanker to explode near a market and a government ministry in Afrin. The explosion killed at least 53 people, including 11 children and 6 Turkish-allied fighters. The Turkish government blamed YPG for the attack.YPG SDF insurgency in Northern Aleppo
9 MayMass shooting20+UnknownTillabéri, NigerMay 2020 Tillabéri attacks: Gunmen attacked several villages in the Tillabéri Region of Niger. At least twenty people were killed. The perpetrators and motive of the attacks are unknown.UnknownInsurgency in the Maghreb
12 MayMass shooting24 16Kabul, AfghanistanMay 2020 Afghanistan attacks: 24 civilians, including two newborns and several nurses, were killed when armed men attacked a maternity ward of a hospital in the Hazara neighborhood Dashte Barchi in Kabul. All three attackers were killed after a shootout that lasted 5 hours.Islamic State – Khorasan Province War in Afghanistan
12 MaySuicide bombing32 133Kuz Kunar, AfghanistanMay 2020 Afghanistan attacks: 32 people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked the funeral of a police chief in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. More than 130 were injured in the blast. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.Islamic State – Khorasan ProvinceWar in Afghanistan
29 MayShooting11Oakland, United States2020 boogaloo killings: An unidentified gunman opened fire on two Federal Protective Service officers near a protest in Oakland, before fleeing the scene in a van driven by an accomplice. One of the officers was killed and the other was injured. Department of Homeland Security labelled the attack an act of "domestic terrorism". Two suspects connected to the far-right boogaloo movement were arrested in connection with the attack.Boogaloo movement Domestic terrorism in the United States
6 JuneShooting, bombing12 Santa Cruz County, United States2020 boogaloo killings: A gunman armed with a rifle and improvised explosive devices attacked Santa Cruz County deputies, killing one and injuring two others. He was then wounded himself and taken into custody. Authorities connected the suspect in that attack to a fatal drive-by shooting in Oakland last month, which targeted Federal Protective Service officers amidst the George Floyd protests in the area.Boogaloo movement Domestic terrorism in the United States
13 JuneShooting, rocket attack, arson62+100+Monguno and Nganzai, Nigeria2020 Monguno and Nganzai massacres: At least 62 people were killed and hundreds injured in two attacks by ISWAP fighters in Borno State. The ISWAP fighters overran government positions in Monguno killing 20 soldiers, they burned the UN headquarters and the police station in the city. At the same time, ISWAP fighters in pick-up trucks and motorcycles entered the Local Government Area of Nganzai, where they killed 42 civilians.Islamic State - West Africa ProvinceBoko Haram insurgency
29 JuneGrenade attack, shooting4 7Karachi, Pakistan2020 Pakistan Stock Exchange attack: Militants with grenades and automatic rifles attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange building. Three security guards and a police sub-inspector were killed, while seven people were injured during the attack. All four attackers were killed by the police. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.Balochistan Liberation ArmyInsurgency in Balochistan
21 JulyHostage taking, shooting00Lutsk, UkraineLutsk hostage crisis: A gunman kept 13 people hostage in a bus in the city centre of Lutsk. The man was armed with firearms and explosives. After President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a short video on his Facebook page referencing the film Earthlings, all hostages were released unharmed. The gunman, identified as Maksym Kryvosh was arrested.Maksym KryvoshTerrorism in Ukraine