2002 Mombasa attacks
The 2002 Mombasa attacks was a two-pronged terrorist attack on 28 November 2002 in Mombasa, Kenya against an Israeli-owned hotel and a plane belonging to Arkia Airlines. An all-terrain vehicle crashed through a barrier outside the Paradise Hotel and blew up, killing 13 and injuring 80. At the same time, attackers fired two surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli charter plane. The Paradise Hotel was the only Israeli-owned hotel in the Mombasa area. The attacks were believed to be orchestrated by al-Qaeda operatives in Somalia in an attempt to disrupt the Israeli tourist industry on the African continent. Much speculation has occurred as to who the perpetrators are, but no complete list of suspects has been defined. The attack was the second al-Qaeda terrorist operation in Kenya, following the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi in 1998. Following the attack, the UN Security Council and other nations condemned the bombing.
| 2002 Mombasa attacks | |
|---|---|
| Part of terrorism in Kenya | |
This Arkia Boeing 757-300 was fired at by surface to air missiles as part of the 2002 Mombasa attacks. It is pictured here 3 years later at Munich Airport. | |
The attack site Location of Mombasa in Kenya | |
| Location | Mombasa, Kenya |
| Coordinates | 4.05°S 39.666°E |
| Date | 28 November 2002 |
| Target | Israeli hotel and plane |
Attack type | Car bombing, suicide attack, attempted shootdown |
| Weapons | Surface-to-air missile |
| Deaths | 13 victims (3 Israelis, 10 Kenyans) and 3 suicide bombers |
| Injured | 80 |
| Perpetrators | al-Qaeda |