The first recorded suicide bombing activities where reported after the battle of Leyte Gulf (23-24/10/1944) carried out by the Japanese military. They employed a Kamikaze campaign which succeeded in destroying more Allied ships than all other Japanese naval operations in the Pacific combined, Pearl Harbor included. What makes the kamikaze unique among suicide attack campaigns is the extensive letters, poems, wills and memoirs that participants left behind. |
The rational behind the Kamikaze attacks is applicable to many suicide bombing activities and may be understood as follows:
IF my coalition is under dire threat from a powerful aggressor AND IF my death is a necessary cost of mitigating that threat THEN I respond to the members of my coalition as if all our members are relatively close kin AND my emotions and other mechanisms support a willingness to accept that death will result in a victory for my coalition.
- An Evolutionary Account of Suicide Attacks: The Kamikaze Case 2011
Suicide bombings:
A suicide bombing attack may be defined as: a politically motivated, violent attack perpetrated by a self aware individual who actively and purposefully causes his own death by blowing himself up along with the chosen target. The perpetrators death is a precondition for the success of the mission.
The technological improvements in explosive devices coupled with the growing ease of access to technological information have been said to be major factors resulting in the increase use of suicide bombings in terror attacks. The total cost a suicide bombers vest is estimated to be $150, and apart from malleable plastic explosives, is composed of components bought at the local tailor (stretch denim) and auto shop (ball bearings, wires, batteries, switches). |
Apart from the potential to inflict many casualties, suicide bombing attacks are difficult to combat due to their ability to carry out these attacks where and when it will result in a maximum amount of damage. Such attacks may help to inspire religious or ideological zeal which further increases the threat to society.
- The Phenomenon of Suicide Bombing A Review of Psychological and Nonpsychological Factors 2006
What happens during the blast:
Primary injuries may include:
- Pulmonary barotrauma/ Blast lung
- Tympanic membrane and middle ear rupture
- Abdominal hemorrhage and perforation
- Eye rupture
- Concussion/ head injury
Secondary injuries include:
- Penetrating or blunt injuries (from ballistic fragmentation)
- Possible eye pentration
Tertiary injuries:
- Fractures and traumatic amputations
- Closed and open brain injuries
Quaternary injuries:
- Burns
- Crush injuries
- Closed and open brain injuries
- Asthma, COPD or other breathing problems from smoke and toxins
- Angina
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypertention
- Explosions and Blast Injuries A Primer for Clinicians
Staying safe during a blast
- Stay calm!
- Crawl under a sturdy structure like a table if things start falling around you
- Stay away from glass, windows, mirrors and electrical equipment
- Follow order of police or safety personnel
- Do not attempt to move seriously injured people unless they are in obvious immediate danger
- Stay away from kitchens, gas lines and fire hazards
- Once outside, keep away from the building
- Do not use elevators
- Lay flat (the best place to be in an event of an explosion is to lay flat on the ground).
- Keep your mouth open and breath in small intervals. The chance of sustaining an injury to empty lungs is far smaller than when compared with holding your breath.
- Reduce your later profile
- If you know an explosion is imminent, find a place bellow ground level and hide
After the attack
- Duck and cover
- Leave the building as quickly as possible, do not stop to retrieve personal possessions
- The initial event may be followed by a secondary event, stay clear of the blast scene
- Open doors carefully, watching for falling debris
- Do not use matches or a lighter, sparks may trigger an explosion
- Avoid using telephones, mobile phones and radios
- Move away from side walks and streets, make way for emergency personnel
- If you or a person you are near has suffered a life threatening injury, seek assistance from an official on the scene immediately
- Listen to emergency official on scene
- Keep safe and move away from the area. avoid crowds. unattended cars and trucks, public transport and damaged buildings
- Adapted from: What to do if you are caught in a bomb blast (Zeeshan Usmani). The Verdict
An Injury and Prevention Awareness Project brought to you by Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital Trauma & Emergency Centre.