August 7, 1998:
Bombs detonated in front of two American embassies; one in Nairobi, Kenya and the other in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The attacks were linked to members of al-Qaeda, including Osama bin Laden, which resulted the the FBI placing him on its ten most-wanted fugitives list. “In the aftermath of the attacks, over 900 FBI agents alone—and many more FBI employees—traveled overseas to assist in the recovery of evidence and the identification of victims at the bomb sites and to track down the perpetrators” making it the largest deployment in the bureau’s history at the time.—(FBI)
Impact:
- 224 fatalities (including 12 Americans)
- >4,500 injured
Related Resources:
- Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa
- Countering Terrorism in East Africa: The U.S. Response
- Terrorism in the Horn of Africa
- HSDL search results for: US Embassy Africa Bombing
Photo: (Credit: ODNI) Aftermath of terrorist bombing at US Embassy, Nairobi, Kenya