HC Deb 10 July 1990 vol 176 cc187-90W
Mr. George

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what initiatives have been and are being taken by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to combat terrorism.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

As part of their regular consultations on matters affecting their security, the NATO allies occasionally discuss terrorism, but practical co-operation against terrorism is developed in other international bodies.

Mr. George

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of British Service personnel killed or injured in Northern Ireland, for each year since 1969, as a result of a terrorist incident.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The number of armed forces personnel killed, wounded or injured as a result of the security situation in Northern Ireland for each year from 1969 to 1990 is as follows:

Armed forces casualties
Killed Wounded/injured
1969 0 54
1970 0 620
1971 48 390
1972 129 578
1973 66 548
1974 35 483
1975 20 167
1976 29 264
1977 29 187
1978 21 135
1979 48 153
1980 17 77
1981 23 140
1982 28 98
1983 15 88
1984 19 86
1985 6 33
1986 12 55
1987 11 104
1988 33 229
1989 13 190
1 1990 7 98
Total 609 4,777
1 As at 4 July.

These figures include Regular Army, UDR (part-time and permanent cadre), RM, RN and RAF personnel. They do not include the TA or reserve forces, which have no security role in Northern Ireland.

Mr. George

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of British service personnel, killed or injured in terrorist attacks, since August 1989; where these incidents took place; and what was the nature of each incident.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Between 1 August 1989 and 5 July 1990 29 service personnel were killed in terrorist bombing or shooting attacks; 13 in Great Britain, two in West Germany, and 14 in Northern Ireland.

Over the same period 66 service personnel were wounded or injured in terrorist shooting and bombing attacks; 26 in Great Britain, two in West Germany, and 38 in Northern Ireland1.

Details of the terrorist bombing and shooting attacks that caused these deaths and injuries are as follows:

Date, casualties, location and nature of incident

1 September 1989

  • Two soldiers were seriously injured when they were shot outside York barracks, Munster, West Germany.

16 September 1989

  • One regular soldier was shot and killed at RUC Coalisland, Northern Ireland.

22 September 1989

  • Eleven regular soldiers were killed and 22 injured when a bomb exploded at the Royal Marines school of music in Deal, Kent, England.

7 October 1989

  • One regular soldier was seriously injured when a hijacked van exploded in the Waterside, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

26 October 1989

  • Three regular soldiers were injured, not seriously, when they came under close-range mortar fire at Crossmaglen, Northern Ireland.

26 October 1989

  • One RAF airman was shot and killed at Wildenrath, West Germany.

17 November 1989

  • One part-time UDR soldier was fatally wounded when he was ambushed and shot by gunmen as he left his place of duty in Armagh, Northern Ireland, to go home.

18 November 1989

  • Three regular soldiers were killed and one very seriously injured near Mayobridge, South Down, Northern Ireland, when their vehicle was blown up by a bomb buried by the side of the road.

18 November 1989

  • One regular soldier was very seriously injured when an under-car booby trap (UCBT) exploded under his vehicle at the Army married quarters in Colchester, Essex, England.

27 November 1989

  • Two regular soldiers were injured, not seriously, when a bomb in Merrion Park, West Belfast, was detonated as their military patrol passed by it.

28 November 1989

  • One regular soldier was injured, not seriously, as he took cover from, and was hit by, a hoax device thrown over the wall at RUC Springfield road, Belfast.

1 December 1989

  • One off-duty part-time UDR soldier was injured, not seriously, when he was shot by a gunman in the legs and buttocks near Londonderry.

11 December 1989

  • Three regular soldiers were injured, not seriously, when a public house in Londonderry was bombed and masonry fell onto their vehicle.

13 December 1989

  • Two regular soldiers were killed, one seriously injured, and one not seriously injured during a multiple weapon attack upon the permanent vehicle checkpoint (PVCP) at Derryard, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

3 January 1990

  • One off-duty part-time UDR soldier was very seriously injured in Co. Londonderry, Northern Ireland, when a UCBT exploded under his vehicle.

3 January 1990

  • Two regular soldiers were injured, not seriously, when a device placed in a water tank in the front garden of a house in west Belfast exploded as a military patrol passed by.

9 January 1990

  • One off-duty part-time UDR soldier was shot and killed by two armed men who entered the shoe shop he worked in at Castlederg, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

10 January 1990

  • Two regular soldiers were injured, not seriously, when an explosive device in an empty house in west Belfast detonated as a military patrol passed by.

10 January 1990

  • One regular soldier was injured, not seriously, when two explosive devices were thrown at the rear vehicle of a military patrol vehicle on Springfield road, west Belfast.

20 January 1990

  • One full-time UDR soldier was very seriously injured in Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, when a UCBT exploded under his car after it had been driven 200m.

28 January 1990

  • One regular soldier was injured, not seriously, when a bomb detonated on the city wall at Londonderry during a parade to commemorate Bloody Sunday.

11 February 1990

  • Three regular soldiers were injured, not seriously, when the helicopter they were in was forced to make an emergency landing in Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland because of gunfire damage.

15 February 1990

  • One off-duty part-time UDR soldier was injured, not seriously, when two men shot him whilst he was driving a tractor on his farm in East Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

17 February 1990

  • One regular soldier was injured, not seriously, when a device exploded as the military vehicle he was in passed a house in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland.

8 March 1990

  • One off-duty part-time UDR soldier was shot and killed whilst driving a lorry for his employer at Castlecaulfield, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

16 March 1990

  • One regular soldier was injured, not seriously, when a shot was fired at a military patrol in Crossmaglen, Northern Ireland.

24 March 1990

  • Two regular soldiers and one UDR soldier were injured, not seriously, when a van exploded outside the RUC station at Ballymena.

9 April 1990

  • Four UDR soldiers were killed when an explosive device in a culvert under a road near Downpatrick, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, detonated as their military vehicle passed over it.

28 April 1990

  • One regular soldier was injured, not seriously, when a military patrol he was in was engaged by automatic gunfire near Drumhill, South Armagh, Northern Ireland.

28 April 1990

  • One UDR soldier and one regular soldier were both injured, not seriously, when two mortar bombs were fired at the PVCP at Strabane, Northern Ireland, and one exploded.

5 May 1990

  • One regular soldier was killed when a military patrol was engaged by automatic gunfire near Cullyhana, South Armagh. Northern Ireland.

16 May 1990

  • One regular soldier was killed and one seriously injured when a UCBT under an Army van exploded near the Army careers information office at Wembley, London.

21 May 1990

  • One regular soldier was injured, not seriously, when an explosive device was thrown at a mobile patrol in west Belfast and detonated.

1 June 1990

  • One regular soldier was killed and two injured when they were shot whilst waiting for a train at Lichfield, Staffordshire, England.

2 June 1990

  • One regular soldier was shot and killed outside his married quarters at Dortmund-Gartenstadt, West Germany.

10 June 1990

  • One off-duty part-time UDR soldier was seriously injured when a UCBT exploded under his vehicle at Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

28 June 1990

  • One regular soldier was seriously injured when a military patrol was engaged by automatic gunfire in the main street of Pomeroy, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

2 July 1990

  • One regular soldier was injured not seriously, when the RUC station at Grosvenor road, Belfast came under attack from grenades and gunfire.
  • 1 A further 117 service men were injured in Northern Ireland between 1 August 1989 and 5 July 1990 as a result of the security situation there.

Back to