The Suicide Attack Network Database (SAND) is the most extensive database of its kind, documenting all known suicide attacks from October 1980 to January 2017 (6,224 in total). Like competing databases, SAND lists date of attack, sponsoring organization/s, location and target of attack, and number of innocents killed and wounded. In addition, the database categorizes suicide attacks by target type (combatant, political, and/or civilian), target location (foreign, domestic, or mixed), organization location (foreign, domestic, or mixed), specific conflict and conflict type. Further, unlike any other database of suicide attacks, SAND links with the Revolutionary and Militant Organizations Dataset (REVMOD), illustrating a network analysis perspective of the contemporary suicide-attack phenomenon.

 

 

Data Overview

 

Download Database, N=6,224 (October 1980-December 2016) [pdf]

 

Download Replication data for Acosta's Journal of Peace Research article on suicide attacks [pdf]

 

How to Cite

 

 

Studies that Use the Dataset:

 

Benjamin Acosta, (2016) "Dying for Survival: Why Militant Organizations Continue to Conduct Suicide Attacks," Journal of Peace Research 53 (2)

 

Benjamin Acosta, (2014) “Live to Win Another Day: Why Many Militant Organizations Survive Yet Few Succeed,” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 37 (2)

 

Benjamin Acosta and Steven J. Childs, (2013) "Illuminating the Global Suicide-Attack Network," Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 36 (1)