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Khobar Towers bombing

UNSOLVED1996Khobar Towers, Khobar, Saudi Arabia3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
AnschalgInZahran1996 KhobarTower
AnschalgInZahran1996 KhobarTower — Credit: DoD photo, #960626-N-00000-002 · Public domain

On 25 June 1996, a truck bomb was detonated adjacent to Building #131 of the Khobar Towers housing complex in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, which was being used as living quarters for coalition forces supporting Operation Southern Watch, the no-fly zone operation over southern Iraq. The building primarily housed members of the U.S. Air Force's 4404th Wing (Provisional). The attack killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel and wounded 498 people of many nationalities. The official U.S. statement issued the same day named Hezbollah Al-Hejaz ("Party of God in the Hijaz") as responsible.

According to Wikipedia's account, attackers smuggled explosives into Saudi Arabia from Lebanon and, in early June 1996, purchased a large latrine service tanker truck that they converted into a truck bomb over roughly two weeks, assembling approximately 5,000 pounds of plastic explosives. After being denied entry at the main checkpoint, the attackers drove the bomb truck and accompanying vehicles into a parking lot adjacent to Building #131 around 9:43 p.m. local time; the bomb exploded roughly three to four minutes later, at approximately 10:20 p.m. Staff Sergeant Alfredo R. Guerrero, a U.S. Air Force security policeman atop the building, spotted the vehicles as a threat and began evacuating floors before the blast; his actions are credited with saving lives, and he received the Airman's Medal. The explosion left a crater 85 feet wide and 35 feet deep, heavily damaged or destroyed six high-rise buildings, and shattered windows up to a mile away.

The bombing prompted criticism of U.S. military and intelligence preparedness. Per the New York Times, cited in the Wikipedia article, "significant shortcomings in planning, intelligence, and basic security left American forces in Saudi Arabia vulnerable." Numerous surveillance incidents near the compound had been reported in the months before the attack, and Clinton administration officials acknowledged receiving a wave of threats beforehand without adequately preparing for a bomb of this magnitude. As a result, U.S. and coalition operations relocated from Khobar and Dhahran to Prince Sultan Air Base near Al-Kharj.

In June 2001, a U.S. federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia indicted thirteen named individuals plus an unidentified "John Doe" described as Lebanese, on charges including murder and conspiracy in connection with the bombing. Saudi Arabia stated in July 2001 that eleven of those indicted were in Saudi custody but declined to extradite them, and the outcome of any Saudi trial has not been made public. In August 2015, an Arab newspaper reported that Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Mughassil, described as a leader of Hezbollah Al-Hejaz, had been arrested in Beirut and transferred to Saudi custody; U.S. intelligence reportedly believed the report accurate, though Saudi authorities had not confirmed it.

Attribution for the bombing has remained contested. Some accounts, including statements attributed to Osama bin Laden and to former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry, point to al-Qaeda involvement. U.S. government assessments and a 2006 U.S. federal court default judgment found Iran and Hezbollah directly responsible, though Iran was not represented in that proceeding.

Key facts

Victims
Joshua E. Woody, Ronald King, Christopher Lester, Peter W. Morgera, Kendall K. Kitson, Brent E. Marthaler, Kevin Johnson, Joseph E. Rimkus, Leland Haun, Jeremy A. Taylor, Patrick P. Fennig, Thanh V. Nguyen, Daniel B. Cafourek, Justin Wood, Brian W. McVeigh, Millard D. Campbell, Christopher Adams, Michael G. Heiser, Earl F. Cartrette Jr.
Date
1996
Location
Khobar Towers, Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1995-11-13

    A car bombing in Al Olaya, Riyadh, outside the OPM-SANG headquarters killed six Americans and two Indian citizens, raising the threat level at Khobar Towers.

  2. 1996-06

    Attackers purchased a tanker truck in Saudi Arabia and converted it into a truck bomb over roughly two weeks.

  3. 1996-06-25

    A truck bomb was detonated adjacent to Building #131 of the Khobar Towers complex at approximately 10:20 p.m. local time, killing 19 U.S. Air Force personnel and wounding 498 people.

  4. 1997-04

    Gen. John Shalikashvili, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Pentagon lacked sufficient evidence about the bombers to consider retaliation.

  5. 2001-06

    A U.S. federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia issued an indictment charging thirteen named individuals and an unidentified 'John Doe' with murder, conspiracy, and related offenses.

  6. 2001-07

    Saudi Arabia said eleven of those indicted were in Saudi custody but declined to extradite them to the United States.

  7. 2006-12-22

    U.S. federal judge Royce C. Lamberth issued a default judgment ruling that Iran and Hezbollah were directly and personally responsible for the attack.

  8. 2015-08

    Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Mughassil had been arrested in Beirut and transferred to Saudi Arabian custody.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Hani al-Sayegh

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 on charges related to the bombing; previously in U.S. custody, deported to Saudi Arabia after charges against him were dropped for lack of evidence.

  • Mustafa al-Qassab

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Joshua E. Woody

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class killed in the bombing.

  • Ronald King

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant killed in the bombing.

  • Christopher Lester

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class killed in the bombing.

  • Peter W. Morgera

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class killed in the bombing.

  • Alfredo R. Guerrero

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    U.S. Air Force security policeman who spotted the attackers' vehicles as a threat and began evacuating Building #131 before the blast; awarded the Airman's Medal.

  • Kendall K. Kitson

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant killed in the bombing.

  • Brent E. Marthaler

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class killed in the bombing.

  • Kevin Johnson

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant killed in the bombing.

  • Joseph E. Rimkus

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class killed in the bombing.

  • Fadel al-Alawe

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Abdel Karim al-Nasser

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Leland Haun

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Captain killed in the bombing.

  • Jeremy A. Taylor

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Senior Airman killed in the bombing.

  • Patrick P. Fennig

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant killed in the bombing.

  • Ali al-Houri

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Mustafa al-Mu’alem

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Thanh V. Nguyen

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant killed in the bombing.

  • Daniel B. Cafourek

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant killed in the bombing.

  • Abdallah al-Jarash

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Justin Wood

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class killed in the bombing.

  • Brian W. McVeigh

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class killed in the bombing.

  • Hussein al-Mughis

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Mughassil

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on murder and conspiracy charges related to the bombing; identified as a leader of Hezbollah Al-Hejaz; reported arrested in Beirut in August 2015 and transferred to Saudi custody.

  • Millard D. Campbell

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Sergeant killed in the bombing.

  • Christopher Adams

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Captain killed in the bombing.

  • Ibrahim al-Yaqoub

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Ali al-Marhoun

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Sa’ed al-Bahar

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

  • Michael G. Heiser

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant killed in the bombing.

  • Earl F. Cartrette Jr.

    VICTIM

    U.S. Air Force Senior Airman killed in the bombing.

  • Saleh Ramadan

    CHARGED

    Indicted in June 2001 in connection with the bombing.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • AnschalgInZahran1996 KhobarTower

    archival location

    AnschalgInZahran1996 KhobarTower

    Credit: DoD photo, #960626-N-00000-002 · Public domain · Source

  • Khobar towers and crater

    archival location

    Khobar towers and crater

    Credit: US House of Representatives National Security Committee · Public domain · Source

  • Khobar bombing

    archival location

    Khobar bombing

    Credit: author unknown · Public domain · Source

  • Khobar Towers bombing 960629-N-00000-004

    archival location

    Khobar Towers bombing 960629-N-00000-004

    Credit: U.S. Department of Defence · Public domain · Source

  • Khobar Towers bombing 960703-F-2095R-005

    unclassified

    Khobar Towers bombing 960703-F-2095R-005

    Credit: Staff Sgt. Cesar Rodriguez, U.S. Air Force · Public domain · Source

  • Khobar Towers bombing 960703-F-2095R-008

    archival location

    Khobar Towers bombing 960703-F-2095R-008

    Credit: Staff Sgt. Cesar Rodriguez, U.S. Air Force · Public domain · Source

  • Khobar Towers bombing 960701-F-2095R-006

    archival location

    Khobar Towers bombing 960701-F-2095R-006

    Credit: Staff Sgt. Cesar Rodriguez, U.S. Air Force · Public domain · Source

  • Khobar Towers bombing 960626-N-00000-006

    archival location

    Khobar Towers bombing 960626-N-00000-006

    Credit: U.S. Department of Defence · Public domain · Source

  • Khobar Towers bombing 960628-F-9184G-006

    archival location

    Khobar Towers bombing 960628-F-9184G-006

    Credit: Senior Airman Paul Gritton, U.S. Air Force · Public domain · Source

Places

Khobar Towers, Khobar, Saudi Arabia

26.2611, 50.2062

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A truck bomb detonated outside a U.S. Air Force housing building at the Khobar Towers complex in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, on 25 June 1996, killing 19 U.S. Air Force personnel and wounding 498 people of various nationalities.
Where did the bombing happen?
Khobar Towers, Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in Saudi Arabia

Sources

  1. Khobar Towers bombingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Fatal Lapses: U.S. Missteps Delay Opened Door to Saudi Blastnews · The New York Times · 2026-07-07
  3. Khobar Towers bombing news photonews · defense.gov · 2026-07-07