This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: – ···scholar·JSTOR(August 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
This is a list of assassinations which took place on the continent of Asia.
For the purposes of this article, an assassination is defined as the deliberate, premeditated murder of a prominent figure, often for religious or political reasons.
Abdul Rahman, Afghan Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism[2]
May 12, 2007
Dadullah, Taliban's senior military commander
May 3, 2007
Abdul Sabur Farid Kuhestani, former Prime Minister of Afghanistan
August 27, 2009
Tohir Yo'ldosh, co-founder of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Killed in a U.S. drone strike
September 20, 2011
Burhanuddin Rabbani, former President of Afghanistan
Assassinated, possibly members of the Taliban or the Haqqani network, while leading peace negotiations between the internationally recognized Afghan government of Hamid Karzai and the Taliban
Sargsyan was shot dead in an attack on the Armenian National Assembly by a group of armed men who claimed to be staging a coup d'état. According to the attackers, Sargsyan was their only target, and the seven other deaths had been unintentional.[6]
The coup was planned by disgruntled Awami League colleagues and military officers who were led by Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, and they targeted to exterminate his entire family.
Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail, having been arrested in the aftermath of the August coup.
November 3, 1975
A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman, former government minister
Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail, having been arrested in the aftermath of the August coup.
November 7, 1975
Khaled Mosharraf, Bangladeshi general
Mosharraf seized power from Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (who had overthrown Mujibur Rahman in August), but was killed by mutinous army personnel four days later.
May 30, 1981
Ziaur Rahman, President
Group of army officers
Plotted by a faction of officers of Bangladesh Army led by General Abul Monjur.
January 27, 2005
Shah A M S Kibria, former Finance Minister
Kibria was assassinated on 27 January 2005 in a grenade attack in his constituency of Habiganj in Sylhet.
Al-Rashid went to Isfahan where he was assassinated by a team of four Nizari Ismailis (Assassins) in June 1138. This was celebrated in Alamut for a week.[11]
June 20, 1747
Nader Shah, Shah of Persia
Army officers led by Salah Bey, captain of the guards
Nadar was attacked in his sleep, but was able to kill two of the assassins before dying.
May 1, 1896
Nasser-al-Din Shah, Shah of Persia
Mirza Reza Kermani
Assassinated on the day of his fiftieth kingship ceremony.
Ali ibn Abi Talib, The first Imam of Shia and 4th Caliph of Sunni
Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam
10 October 680
Husayn ibn Ali, He was a grandson and 3rd Imam of Shia Muslim
‘Umar ibn Sa'ad, the head of Kufan army, sent a messenger to Husayn to inquire about the purpose of his coming to Iraq. Husayn answered again that he had responded to the invitation of the people of Kufa but was ready to leave if they now disliked his presence. When Umar ibn Sa'ad, the head of Kufan army, reported it back to ibn Ziyad, the governor instructed him to offer Ḥusayn and his supporters the opportunity to swear allegiance to Yazid. He also ordered Umar to cut off Husayn and his followers from access to the water of the Euphrates.[8] On the next morning, as ʿOmar b. Saʿd arranged the Kufan army in battle order, Al-Hurr ibn Yazid al Tamimi challenged him and went over to Al-Ḥusayn. He addressed the Kufans in vain, rebuking them for their treachery to the grandson of Muhammad, and was killed in the battle
11 December 861 (night)
Al-Mutawakkil, The tenth Abbasid Caliph (r. 847–861)
Abbasid Turkic guards
Caliph al-Mutawakkil had named his three sons as heirs (Al-Muntasir, al-Mu'tazz, al-Mu'ayyad). He seemed to favour al-Muntasir. However, afterwards this seemed to change and al-Muntasir feared his father was going to move against him. So, he decided to strike first. Al-Mutawakkil was killed by a Turkic soldier with the help of his son (Al-Muntasir) on Wednesday the night of 10/11 December, about one hour after midnight, the Turks burst in the chamber where the Caliph was having supper.
21 June 870
Al-Muhtadi, the fourteenth Abbasid caliph (r. 869–870)
Abbasid Turkic regiment
The breakdown in relations between the caliph al-Muhtadi and the Abbasid Turkic regiment contributed to the decision by the Samarran regiments to overthrow and kill al-Muhtadi in 21 June 870
Inejiro Asanuma, Socialist Party of Japan chairman
Otoya Yamaguchi
While Asanuma spoke from the lectern at Tokyo's Hibiya Hall during a televised debate, Yamaguchi rushed onstage and ran his wakizashi (a type of traditional Japanese sword) through Asanuma's abdomen, killing him.
Mohamad Chatah, former finance minister, ambassador to the United States, and advisor to Saad Hariri
Assassination via car bomb in Beirut. Presumed to be because Chatah was mentioned as a potential candidate for prime minister. Saad Hariri hinted that he believed the assassinators to be from Hezbollah.[17]
Malaysia[]
Date
Victim(s)
Assassin(s)
Notes
November 2, 1875
James Wheeler Woodford Birch, a BritishResident Minister in the State of Perak
Speared to death by followers of Malay chief Lela Pandak Lam, while in the bath-house of his boat at Pasir Salak
December 10, 1949
Duncan Stewart, Second Governor of Sarawak, a British Crown Colony (1946–1963)
Rukun 13 members Rosli Dhobie, Morshidi Sidek, Awang Ramli Mohd Deli, and Bujang Suntong
Stabbed to death during his arrival at Sibu
October 6, 1951
Henry Gurney, British High Commissioner in Malaya (1948–1951)
Shot to death by a guerilla unit from the Malayan Communist Party at Fraser's Hill
7 June 1974
Abdul Rahman Hashim, Inspector-General of Police from 1 February 1973 to 7 June 1974.
Shot dead by the communist subversive who the one leader of Royal Malaysian Police at Mountbatten Road (now Jalan Tun Perak) and Weld Road (now Jalan Raja Chulan), Kuala Lumpur.
Murdered by C-4 explosives or was somehow killed first and her remains destroyed with C-4 on 18 October 2006 in a deserted area in Shah Alam, Malaysia near Kuala Lumpur.[18]
January 11, 2008
S. Krishnasamy, state assemblyman for the Tenggaroh constituency, Malaysia (2003-2008)
July 29, 2013
Hussain Najadi, banker, AmBank founder
Shot twice at close range by an unidentified assailant
February 13, 2017
Kim Jong-nam, older brother of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un
Poisoned with VX nerve agent by two women at Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Hakim Said, founder of Hamdard Foundation and Hamdard University, Karachi; former Governor of Sindh
2001
Siddiq Khan Kanju, former foreign minister of Pakistan from 1991 to 1993
December 27, 2007
Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan (first and only woman Prime minister of Pakistan)
Unknown, widely believed to be Islamic militants, possibly Al-Qaeda
Killed by an Al-Qaeda suicide bomber while entering a vehicle upon leaving a political rally for the Pakistan People's Party in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. See Assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
Godofredo Alingal, professed Priest of the Jesuits
August 21, 1983
Benigno Aquino Jr., politician, leader of the opposition against PresidentFerdinand Marcos[2]
Rogelio Moreno (confirmed) AVSECOM members (accomplices)
Shot multiple times in the head upon exiting China Airlines Flight 811 in Manila International Airport (now named Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his memory). The mastermind is still unknown to this day.
November 14, 1984
Cesar Climaco, Mayor of Zamboanga City and prominent opposition leader
April 11, 1985
Tullio Favali, Italian priest and former member of Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME)
February 11, 1986
Evelio Javier, Governor of Antique and ally of 1986 presidential candidate, Corazon Aquino
Benjaline 'Beng' Hernandez, former deputy secretary-general of Karapatan-Southern Mindanao and vice president for Mindanao of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines[21]
Members of the Philippine Army
June 28, 2003
Joel Brillantes, Mayor of Monkayo, Compostela Valley[22]
Vijaya Kumaranatunga, movie actor turned SLFP-SLMP politician
Killed by JVP
1989
Rohana Wijeweera, founder of JVP
Killed by Sri Lankan Armed Forces
1989
A. Amirthalingam, leader of separatist party TULF
Killed by LTTE
1991
Ranjan Wijeratne, Foreign Minister & Minister of State for Defence
Killed by LTTE
1993
Lalith Athulathmudali, former cabinet minister
Purportedly killed by LTTE
1993
Ranasinghe Premadasa, President of Sri Lanka
Killed by a suicide bomber on May Day parade. The attack was purportedly carried out by LTTE (but was possibly revenge for his own orchestrating murder of political rival Lalith Athulathmudali, to whom he feared losing election).
1994
Gamini Dissanayake, Presidential candidate, UNP Member of Parliament
Antiochus VI Dionysus, Seleucid heir to the throne
285
Numerian, Roman emperor
Arrius Aper, his father-in-law
Killed in Emesa (modern-day Homs)
1146
Zengi, ruler of Aleppo and Mosul and founder of the Zengid Dynasty
1213
Raymond of Antioch, heir to the throne of Antioch and Tripoli
Killed by Hashshashin
1940
Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar, Syrian nationalist
August 1, 2008
Muhammad Suleiman, Syrian general and security adviser to president Bashar al-Assad
February 12, 2008
Imad Mughniyah, senior member of Hezbollah
July 18, 2012
Dawoud Rajiha, Syria's Defense Minister General
Either Liwa al Islam or the Free Syrian Army (both claimed responsibility)
Killed either with a remotely detonated bomb or via suicide attack as part of the Syrian civil war. Several other leading government officials may have been injured or killed.
Asef Shawkat, Deputy Defense Minister
Hasan Turkmani, Chief of staff of the Syrian Armed Forces General
King Worawongsathirat, King of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
unknown
9 June 1946
King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII), the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri
unknown
Was mysteriously found dead in his bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head, whilst a M1911 pistol was found by his left hand (despite him being right-handed).
29 August 1961
Princess Lakshamilavan, Vajiravudh's 2nd spouse
Sang Homjan
Virat Kanjanaphai
8 August 1968
Suraphol Sombatcharoen, Thai male singer.
unknown
He was assassinated in 0:02 am., August 8, 1968 at Nakhon Pathom province, in his concert tour time.
16 February 1977
Princess Vibhavadi Rangsit, Thai Princess
Communist insurgents
Shot down by Communist insurgents in a helicopter crash whilst helping rural villagers in Surat Thani Province.
Major General Sawasdipol was an ardent supporter and the security chief of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) also known as the "reds Shirts" in their protest against the Government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva from approximately March 12, 2010 to May 20, 2010, in which 92 people were killed. He was killed by a sniper's bullet to the head on 13 May while giving an interview to a reporter for The New York Times about 7 p.m.
Turkey[]
See also: List of assassinated people from Turkey
United Arab Emirates[]
Date
Victim(s)
Assassin(s)
Notes
January 19, 2010
Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a member of Hamas
Unknown, widely believed to be Mossad agents
Exact cause unknown; possibilities include suffocation, strangulation, and electrocution. See Assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.