October 2016 Bamburgh Terror Attacks
| October 2016 Bamburgh Terror Attacks | |
|---|---|
| Part of Sandown Struggle for Independence | |
| Location | Bamburgh, Aswick |
| Date | 22 March 2016 |
| Target | Civilians and transport hubs |
Attack type | mass murder |
| Weapons | Grenades, explosives, assault rifles |
| Deaths | 57 |
Non-fatal injuries | 130 |
| Motive | Independence of the Sandown Isles from Aswick |
The Attacks
The Stag Attack
At approximately 12:40am, survivors report an explosion emanating from a booth in the rear left corner of the pub, close to the DJ booth. The explosion sent large wooden splinters tearing into the crowd, causing many people to duck for cover. Before the crowd could appropriately react, a second explosion tore through the bar, coming from a trash can near the front door. This explosion, though throwing up less shrapnel and splinters than the one under the booth, erupted near the window, showering patrons outside, smoking cigarettes and waiting on line for entry, with glass and sending metal fragments into the stunned crowd.
Roughly a minute after the two explosions, a group of two or three masked men exited a vehicle in front of the Stag and began opening fire with automatic rifles, targeting the survivors who had been online outside the pub. Multiple off-duty servicemen attempted to engage, throwing whatever was available, including beer bottles and stools, from inside the pub, causing the group to decide against entering the establishment, and focus on the terrified people scattering in all directions from the front door. The gunfire lasted approximately two minutes before the men retreated back to their vehicle and disappeared.
MacDilly's Pub Attack
At the same time as the attack on the Stag, two more bombs detonated simultaneously at MacDilly's Pub, a known hangout for off duty members of the Aswickian armed forces. One bomb, believed to have been placed in a jacket left on a railing near the dancefloor, sent shrapnel tearing into the packed crowd, while a second, closer to the bathroom launched fragments into people gathered by the bar. Unaware of the attacks unfolding across town, many people attempted to pick up their wounded friends and move outside, where another group of attackers were waiting.
Three men, all wearing masks, approached the crowd and opened fire, moving into the bar and firing into the smoke filled room. Unlike at the Stag, which was significantly larger, the more confined space of MacDilly's meant that virtually everyone in the bar was wounded or in shock, and thus the patrons were unable to offer much resistance to the armed men. The group of gunman continued into the bar, firing into the bodies that littered the floor for two minuted, until survivors reported hearing a distinct beeping noise coming from on of the gunmen's clothes. Fearing that it was another bomb set to go off, most prepared for a third explosion, however, the gunmen quickly turned and left, rushing to their vehicle outside and driving towards the beach.
Grenade Attacks
At 12:47am, seven minutes after the initial bombs and five minutes after the gunmen fled, a second round of bombings took place around the city of Bamburgh. The first explosion, on the corner of Sandybeck Road and Starbeck Avenue, exploded without incident, but diverted police from the search to respond to the bombing. At roughly the same time, another explosion occurred on Dinsdale Road, injuring two men who were having a cigarette outside of the Green Point pub.
At 12:50, a third explosion occurred, causing Bamburgh authorities to declare a state of emergency. This explosion, emanating like the others from a hand grenade placed in a garbage can, took place along the crowded Tamworth Road, killing two people and injuring 3 more, and the fourth and final bomb erupted only minutes later at Westgate Station, just as a train was unloading in the station.
Casualties
The attacks killed 57 people and left 130 injured. Of the dead, 28 were killed at MacDilly's Pub, 17 were killed at The Stag, 4 at Westgate Station, and 2 on Tamworth road. The majority of those targeted were off duty military members, while the victims of the explosions along the streets and in Westgate Station were primarily civilians with little to no involvement in military affairs.