For Christians, Christmas is a festival and a season of joy, giving, and hope. An attack during the Christmas season is a tragic and disturbing assault on the very spirit of festivity. These attacks often take the form of bombings, shootings, or vehicular assaults, targeting crowds during celebrations.
On 20 December 2024, a Saudi ‘doctor‘, Taleb, drove a BMW into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, resulting in two fatalities and 70 injuries. The doctor was later arrested.
In this report, we compile 11 such incidents between 2013 and 2024 where terror attacks occurred or were plotted to occur during the Christmas season.
#1 – 2024 Terror Attack In Christmas Market – Magdeburg, Germany
On 20 December 2024, a terror attack occurred at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, when a Saudi doctor, Taleb A, drove a BMW into the crowd, killing five people and injuring over 60 others. The suspect, a psychiatrist living in Germany since 2006, was arrested after the car traveled 400 meters through the market. An explosive device was also found in his vehicle. The incident raised fears of Islamist-motivated attacks, following warnings about Christmas markets being potential targets.
Car-ramming terror attack against Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany kills at least 11 people and wounds more than 60. pic.twitter.com/DSoW6mTB9X
— David Patrikarakos (@dpatrikarakos) December 20, 2024
#2 – Cologne 2023 Cathedral Attack On New Year’s Eve Plot Thwarted
On 31 December 2023, German police arrested three Tajik suspects in Vienna for allegedly planning a terror attack targeting Cologne Cathedral on New Year’s Eve. The group, believed to have ties with the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), an ISIS offshoot operating in Afghanistan, was reportedly preparing the attack in support of the terrorist organization.
#3 – Fulani Militias Kill 200 In Plateau State Christmas Attack In 2023
On Christmas Eve, 24 December 2023, suspected Fulani militias attacked 21 Christian villages across Plateau State, killing nearly 200 people. The violence occurred in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Mangu counties, with villages such as Bokkos suffering the highest toll. Amnesty International confirmed 194 deaths, while the Nigerian Red Cross reported 161 fatalities and over 32,000 displaced. Attacks, lasting over seven hours, left homes and churches burned.
#4 – Boko Haram Kills 2 Christians On Christmas Day In 2023
On Christmas Day, 25 December 2023, Boko Haram militants attacked a Christian village in northeastern Nigeria, killing two Christians. The terrorists set houses on fire, looted shops, and used guns and machetes in the attack. Many others were injured, and numerous homes were destroyed. A local resident reported that the terrorists attacked with deadly weapons, causing widespread damage and suffering in the community. The attack, attributed to the extremist group Boko Haram, further escalates the ongoing violence against Christians in the region.
#5 – Teenagers Plot 2023 Christmas Market Attack in Germany
On 28 November 2023, two German teenagers were arrested for plotting a terrorist attack on a Christmas market in Leverkusen, western Germany. The 15-year-old boy from North Rhine-Westphalia and the 16-year-old from Brandenburg planned to drive a rented truck through the market to kill as many people as possible, targeting “unbelievers.” The 15-year-old had posted about the attack in a chat group, with a video showing an Islamic State (IS) symbol. The court sentenced the 15-year-old to four years in youth custody for his involvement in the plot.
#6 – Boko Haram Attack On Christmas Eve In Nigeria In 2020
On 25 December 2020, Boko Haram militants attacked the predominantly Christian village of Pemi in Borno State, Nigeria, killing at least 11 people. The attackers, coming from the Sambisa forest enclave, set fire to a church, looted food and medicines meant for Christmas distribution, and burned the local hospital. Villagers fled, with some still unaccounted for. This attack follows a pattern of violence by Boko Haram, who aim to overthrow the government and establish an Islamic state. The conflict has killed over 36,000 people and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria.
#7 – Austria Foils Terror Plot Targeting Christmas Markets In 2019
On 17 December 2019, Austrian authorities thwarted a plot to carry out a series of terror attacks, including a bombing at Vienna’s Christmas market. The plot involved three men, including a 24-year-old ringleader influenced by Islamic State (IS) ideology. Other potential targets included Salzburg and locations in Germany, France, and Luxembourg. The ringleader, who was already in prison after two failed attempts to join IS, continued to communicate with accomplices via mobile phone. The two other suspects, aged 25 and 31, were arrested. All three men are ethnic Chechens.
#8 – 2016 Berlin Christmas Market Attack
On 19 December 2016, Anis Amri, a 24-year-old Tunisian, rammed a truck into Berlin’s Christmas market, killing 12 people. Before the attack, he sent a selfie and a chilling message to a contact, saying, “Pray for me.” Amri, who had been under surveillance by German authorities for his links to radical Islamism, had also pledged allegiance to ISIS. The truck attack, Germany’s deadliest jihadist attack, raised questions about security failures. Amri was later shot dead by Italian police in Milan on December 23, after a Europe-wide manhunt.
#9 – 2015 San Bernardino Attack
On 2 December 2015, Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people and injuring 22 others. The attack occurred after Farook, who had attended a mandatory training with holiday decorations, posed with colleagues in front of a Christmas tree. Malik reportedly objected to the event, which may have motivated the attack. The couple was later killed in a shootout with police. Investigations revealed they had planned the attack, with evidence linking them to ISIS, and they had left behind undetonated bombs.
#10 – 2014 Dijon Attack
On 22 December 2014, a driver plowed into Christmas shoppers in Dijon, France, shouting “Allahu Akbar,” injuring 11 people, including five with serious injuries. The incident followed a series of attacks in France. The driver believed to be in his 40s and with a history of mental illness, stabbed himself after the attack. Although local authorities ruled out terrorism, the attack came a day after a similar assault in Dijon.
#11 – 2013 Christmas Day Bombings In Baghdad
On 26 December 2013, two car bomb attacks in southern Baghdad targeted Christians celebrating Christmas, killing at least 38 people and injuring over 70. A bomb outside a church killed 27 worshipers and wounded 56, while another explosion at a nearby market left 11 dead and 14 injured. The U.S. Embassy condemned the attacks, emphasizing the ongoing vulnerability of Iraq’s Christian community, which has faced increasing sectarian violence.
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