AOAV’s research on Improvised Explosive Devices
AOAV is one of the few charities that has a particular research focus on Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Our reason for doing so is simple – between 2011 and 2016, IEDs were responsible for over 57% of all global civilian deaths and injuries from explosive weapons. They far outstripped the harm caused by other explosive weapon types such as ground-launched (22%), or air-launched (18%) weapons. And it is a harm that is on the increase. 2016 saw 21 countries impacted by suicide bombings.
AOAV’s key IED reports include: Addressing the threat posed by IEDs (pdf), Understanding the rising cult of the suicide bomber (pdf), Understanding the regional and transnational networks that facilitate IED use (pdf), Tracking IED Harm (pdf), Anatomy of a Suicide Bombing (pdf), Material Harm (pdf), and Blood on the Streets of Boston (pdf).
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Understanding the regional and transnational networks that facilitate IED use – Overview
This report examines the regional and transnational networks that facilitate IED use, aiming throughout to analyse and explain as well as to describe them.
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Understanding the rising cult of the suicide bomber
This report sets out to comprehend the cultural, religious, ethical and political motivations of suicide bombers in the modern age.
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Improvised explosive devices – A 5 year overview
This report provides an overview of the use and impact of improvised explosive devices over the last five years, 2011-2015.
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AOAV’s global Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) map
Due to the rise in IED attacks and the devastating damage they cause, AOAV has mapped and monitored global Counter-IED responses.
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‘Material Harm’ – a review of IED components and measures to prevent their spread
AOAV looks at the primary components of an IED, analysing the global transfer of materials and attempts to regulate them.
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‘Tracking IED harm’ – Monitoring Improvised Explosive Device use
AOAV's report considers 18 organisations collecting data on IED harm, highlighting limitations and good practice examples, with a case study on UNAMA in Afghanistan.
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Blood on the streets of Boston: AOAV investigation into the 2013 Marathon bombings
This report analyses the assistance provided to survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, in which 3 people were killed and 264 were injured.
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Anatomy of a suicide bombing: investigating the Moon Market attack in Lahore, Pakistan
In 'Anatomy of a Suicide Bombing,' AOAV explores what followed after an attack on the Moon Market in Lahore in December 2009.
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A short history of suicide bombing
AOAV traces the origins and deadly impacts of suicide bombings around the world
From roadside bombs in rural Afghanistan to satchels packed with explosives at the Boston Marathon, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are a global problem responsible for huge numbers of civilian casualties each year. IEDs take a variety of different forms – they may be remotely detonated, use a timer, or activated by the attacker in the form of a suicide attack. As well as being used against legitimate military targets, IEDs are frequently used in attacks deliberately targeting large numbers of civilians.
Data shows that IED attacks are on the rise and AOAV is working on a range of responses to tackle the problem. Below you can find some of our key reports that we have done into IED harm. Please feel to quote from them, or, for more information, please contact our Executive Director, Iain Overton.
