7 July 2005 London bombings — attacks on the London public transport system on 7 July 2005
The 7 July 2005 bombings were the UK's deadliest terrorist attack since Lockerbie and its first Islamist suicide bombing, killing 52 civilians.
Key Facts
- Date
- 7 July 2005
- Civilians killed
- 52 (from 18 nationalities)
- Injured
- Nearly 800
- Number of bombers
- 4 suicide bombers
- Devices used
- 4 improvised explosive devices in backpacks
- Targets
- 3 Underground trains and 1 double-decker bus
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Islamist extremists motivated by jihadist ideology planned and prepared coordinated suicide attacks on London's public transport network. The bombers constructed improvised explosive devices from concentrated hydrogen peroxide and pepper, concealed in backpacks, intending to strike during the morning rush hour for maximum casualties.
On 7 July 2005, four terrorists detonated homemade bombs during the London morning rush hour. Three explosions struck Underground trains on the Circle Line near Aldgate and Edgware Road and on the Piccadilly Line near Russell Square. A fourth bomb was detonated on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. The near-simultaneous attacks killed 52 civilians of 18 nationalities and injured nearly 800 people.
The attacks became the deadliest terrorist incident on British soil since the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and the UK's first Islamist suicide attack. They prompted major reviews of counter-terrorism legislation and intelligence-sharing practices in Britain, and heightened public and governmental focus on domestic radicalisation and the threat of home-grown terrorism.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent