A glance at the major acts of terror perpetrated by militants and rebels of all colours across Southasia in the decade from 1999 to 2008 can only induce horror. The numerous incidents of indiscriminate violence which have killed, injured, maimed and caused fear among civilians have hit the people hard and also diverted the political evolution of the individual countries in Southasia, and set back geopolitical gains. This list of acts of terror of the past decade presented here are an extended version from the one found in the hard copy of the current January 2009 issue of Himal Southasian. Using criteria based on numbers killed, motive and intent, and targeting of non-combatants, we attempt to indicate the range of killings in both their geographical spread and so-called causality. While every death represents the loss of a precious life, we have had to also go by the count of the dead. Himal's 'terror timeline' does not expand the list to include killings of combatants.
– Editors
TIMELINE
1998 – 2008
1998
25 January: 13 people killed in LTTE suicide attack at the Temple of the Tooth, a holy Buddhist Shrine, in Kandy, Sri Lanka.