Classification of incidents

This section contains definitions of different types of incidents organised by category. Organisations are encouraged to use these standard definitions in order to facilitate analysis data exchange and cross-agency comparisons.

Accident or illness
Any accident or unintentional incident involving employees or organisational property.

Accidental death

Definition
Any unintentional death that cannot be attributed to natural causes. Causes of accidental death may include vehicle accidents or complications from injuries.

Illness

Definition
Any serious illness of an employee.

Natural death

Definition
Any death that can be attributed to a natural cause (e.g. heart attack, illness, stroke, etc.).

Natural fire

Definition
Any fire of natural or unintentional cause that damages property or endangers employees. This may include wildfires or accidental fires (e.g. such as electrical fires or gas leaks, etc.).

Other accident

Definition
A random incident that results in harm to employees and/or damage to the organisation’s property.

Suicide

Definition
The voluntary and intentional death of an employee who has taken their own life.

Aid delivery activities
Any incident that took place at a project site or during aid distribution including looting of aid supplies intimidation harassment or threatening behaviour towards staff members during aid delivery. This includes incidents that occur in the context of conflict war or crime.

Armed activity

Definition
Activity involving weapons carried out by state non-state or organised armed entities.

Beneficiary affected

Definition
Threats and/or violence used against a beneficiary.

Face-to-face harassment/intimidation

Definition
Incident in which an employee is directly harassed or intimidated by a person or group of people (e.g. harassment over the organisation’s programmes or programme activities).

Face-to-face threats

Definition
Incidents in which an employee is directly threatened by a person or group of people. It should include some form of consequence for non-compliance (e.g. a threat of retaliation for not including someone in an organisational activity).

Looting

Definition
Theft during unrest, violence, riots, or other upheavals.

Crime 
Criminally motivated incidents that affect employees and their property, or organisational property.

Armed robbery

Definition
A robbery at gunpoint or in which the perpetrators of the robbery carried firearms that affected employees or property.

Arson

Definition
Any fire damaging property or endangering employees that is caused intentionally. Arson includes, but is not limited to, the use of incendiary devices, the intentional sabotage of electrical systems or gas lines/tanks, and the use of an accelerant to destroy the property.

Blackmail

Definition
Using threats, extortion, or manipulation to compel a person to do something or provide something ( e.g. money, power, etc.).

Break-in

Definition
The act of unlawfully gaining entrance into an aid organisation’s premises or vehicles with the intention of theft.

Burglary/robbery

Definition
Forced-entry into a staff residence, usually with the intention of theft.
• Burglary = when occupants are not present or unaware of the break-in during the incident (e.g. while sleeping)
• Robbery/armed robbery = when occupants are present and/or directly threatened during the incident.

Carjacking/hijacking

Definition
Any incident in which a vehicle owned by the organisation or is being used by an employee or employees as a driver/passenger is forcibly seized.

Cyber attack

Definition
Deliberate exploitation of computer systems or technology-dependent enterprises and networks resulting in disruptive consequences that can compromise data and lead to cybercrimes.

Damage to property

Definition
Any damage or harm, in excess of a predefined amount, that is done to the organisation’s property either unintentionally (e.g. natural disasters, accidents) or intentionally (e.g. riots that cause property damage).

Extortion

Definition
The practice of obtaining something especially money from an employee or employees by using force or threats.

Fraud

Definition
Wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.

Intrusion

Definition
Wrongful or unauthorised entry into an organisation’s premises, vehicles, or staff residences.

Conflict and war
Incidents that occur in the context of armed conflicts or situations of severe political volatility that directly or indirectly impact an organisation staff or operations both local and international and in a private or professional capacity. Incidents may or may not directly affect the organisation its staff or infrastructure.

Armed activity

Definition
Activity involving weapons carried out by state non-state or organised armed entities.

Coup

Definition
Coup, mutiny and other rebellion by any armed force. A coup is defined as an attempt (generally armed) to remove and replace a government. An attempted coup, regardless if it is successful or violent/nonviolent, may be politically destabilizing.

Crossfire

Definition
Any situation in which an employee(s) or organisational property is caught in an attack or firefight between two or more armed parties. In this situation, the involved employees and properties are not the target of the attack.

Shooting

Definition
Deliberate shooting of people other than organisational staff.

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) discovery

Definition
The discovery of unexploded ordinance or explosive remnants of war that did not explode when they were deployed and still pose a risk of detonation.

Information about the victim(s)
When recording information about the victim(s) involved in an incident consider including the categories below. This information should be kept confidential and any decisions made based on it should be non-discriminatory and in accordance with equality diversity and inclusion policies and relevant legislation.

Diversity

Definition
Where relevant and appropriate,  include information on diversity factors of the victim such as sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or physical injuries/disabilities that could help identify any underlying patterns of threats or violence.

Ethnicity

Definition
Where relevant and appropriate, include information on the victim’s ethnicity that could help identify any underlying patterns of threats or violence.

Gender

Definition
Classify victims by their biological sex or chosen gender identity (depending on your organisation’s policy in this regard).

Killed, injured, or kidnapped (KIKA)
Any incident that results in an employee being killed, injured, kidnapped or arrested. These are usually considered to be critical incidents.

Abduction/hijacking/hostage-taking/kidnapping

Definition
Any incident in which employees are forcibly seized. The incident may or may not involve a ransom demand. Employee(s) killed while in captivity are categorised as ‘kidnapped’ and not ‘killed’.

Beaten

Definition
Any incident in which an employee was assaulted by someone using fists, feet, or other body parts, or by objects (e.g. sticks or blunt objects).

Killed

Definition
Any death that has been intentionally caused (e.g. shooting, physical attack, poisoning). Intentional deaths do not include suicides. Employee(s) killed while in captivity are categorised as ‘kidnapped’ and ‘killed’ or ‘killed in captivity’.

Missing

Definition
Any incident in which an employee has disappeared or is missing. The distinction between missing and kidnapping include the following factors:
The actor: non-state actors tend to kidnap people while state actors tend to ‘disappear’ people who are then referred to as ‘missing’. (‘Disappear’ means to cause to disappear, usually as part of a secret program of political terror.)
• How the perpetrator communicates about the employee that has been taken: kidnappers tend to make demands (e.g. for a ransom to be paid) while ‘disappeared’ and missing people are usually never heard from again.
The motive: kidnapping tends to be for a specific demand while disappearances tend to occur to silence a staff member, often for political reasons.

Tortured

Definition
Intentional physical maiming/injury that is explicitly characterised as torture of an employee.

Wounded

Definition
Any incident in which an employee was injured with a weapon as opposed to being beaten.

Outcomes following deprivation of liberty

Definition
The outcome of any action that deprives individuals of their liberty e.g. kidnapping hostage-taking abduction arrest or detention.

Escaped

Definition
The victim escaped or attempted to escape which may have been successful or resulted in his/her death.

Freed

Definition
The victim was freed from captivity.

Killed in captivity

Definition
The victim was killed in captivity, during a rescue mission or in an attempted escape.

In captivity

Definition
The victim is still being held by the actor who abducted/kidnapped him/her.

Missing

Definition
The victim is reported as missing.

No information

Definition
There is no further information of what happened to the victim.

Rescue mission

Definition
An attempt to release a victim that may have been successful or resulted in the death of the victim.

Motive
The classification of the reason(s) why the perpetrator(s) caused or were involved in the incident.

Assumed selective

Definition
A targeted action used specifically against an employee, organisation, or beneficiary, but the motive remains unclear.

Indiscriminate

Definition
A targeted action used against civilians and not specifically aimed at a specific employee organisation or beneficiary.

No information

Definition
The report does not contain enough information to determine if the incident was targeted or not.

Selective assets

Definition
A targeted action used against an employee organisation or beneficiary but with the motive of material gain or obtaining access to goods or infrastructure rather than the intention to hurt the employee organisation or beneficiary.

Selective military action

Definition
Someone or something was selectively targeted (including troop movements, a weapons factory) and the employee, organisation, or beneficiary was affected as a result. This category is specific to incidents that occur during active conflict.

Selective other actor

Definition
Someone or something was selectively targeted, and the employee, organisation, or beneficiary was affected as a result.

Selective programme

Definition
A targeted action used against an employee organisation or beneficiary because the employee or organisation provided a programme or service or the beneficiary used a particular programme or service.

Selective provider

Definition
A targeted action used against an employee, organisation, or beneficiary because of the identity or core values of the organisation.

Near miss
Incidents that could have caused harm or otherwise affected the delivery of aid. Includes any situation in which a security incident almost happened but did not happen happened near an aid worker/organisation/programme or happened where those affected were able to avoid any serious harm. If harm results the incident should be classified under a different category.

Crime near miss

Definition
The near miss occurred in the context of a crime incident.

Killed/injured/kidnapped (KIK) near miss

Definition
An incident in which an employee narrowly avoided being killed injured or kidnapped.

Operational space restricted or threatened
Direct or indirect actions taken, or threats made, by a state or non-state actor that affect humanitarian access.

Abuse of power

Definition
The use of legislated executive or other authorised powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. An illegal act by an office holder constitutes abuse of power only if the act is directly related to his/her official duties.

Access denied

Definition
Acts that:
• Prevent an organisation from reaching beneficiaries or potential beneficiaries to conduct needs assessments or deliver aid or services.
• Prevent beneficiaries from reaching services provided by an organisation.

Accusation

Definition
A charge of wrongdoing laid against an organisation or its employees by the authorities of the host country.

Application of laws

Definition
The application of existing or new laws executive orders decrees or regulations that when applied have an actual effect on the delivery of aid. This may include the confiscation of equipment or putting people/organisations on watch lists.

Arrest

Definition
An employee is taken into custody usually following formal charges by a person/group operating in a governmental capacity (such as the police).

Attack on another organisation

Definition
Reported attack on another organisation that did not affect one’s own organisation directly.

Charges

Definition
Refers to the formal accusation made by a governmental authority asserting that somebody has committed a crime.

Checkpoint

Definition
A non-border or frontier checkpoint in areas controlled by the military, paramilitary, or an armed group that aims at monitoring or controlling the movement of people and materials. The checkpoint impacts the provision of aid or access to services.

Denial of visa

Definition
Delay or denial of an official stamp visa or other permit granting permission to an aid organisation employee to enter a country or territory to deliver aid.

Detention

Definition
Keeping an employee in custody, or in temporary detentions for hours or days, prior to official charges or without laying any official charges.

Expulsion

Definition
The act of forcing an employee or organisation to leave a country or territory.

Face-to-face harassment

Definition
Incidents in which an employee is directly harassed by a person or group of people (e.g. harassment over the organisation’s programmes or programme activities).

Face-to-face intimidation

Definition
Incidents in which an employee is directly intimidated by a person or group of people (e.g. when a staff member feels intimidated by armed actors patrolling near a food distribution activity or site).

Face-to-face threats

Definition
Incidents in which an employee is directly threatened by a person or group of people should include some form of consequence for non-compliance (e.g. a threat of retaliation for not including someone in an organisational activity).

Fine

Definition
Money that must be paid by the organisation as a punishment for not obeying a rule or law.

Forced closure

Definition
Order by the government or other authorities to halt operations in a country or territory; includes closure affecting only one or multiple programmes.

Government action

Definition
Action by a host or donor government that has a direct or indirect impact on the financial ability of an agency to deliver aid includes freezing funds introducing taxes or ending subsidies.

Imprisonment

Definition
The holding of an employee in a known official or unknown location such as a prison often after formal charges have been laid.

Introduction of laws

Definition
The drafting or passing of laws executive orders decrees or regulations that when applied will have a potential or actual effect on the delivery of aid. This may include but is not limited to restrictive registration procedures import regulations or a law/regulation that requires the regular disclosure of an organisation’s financial sources.

Investigation

Definition
Incidents in which an external actor initiated an investigation either for legitimate reasons or for unspecified or assumed political reasons.

Natural disaster

Definition
Actual or forecasted natural disaster that occurs, or is predicted to occur, in a city or country in which the organisation has an office. Natural disasters may include earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, damage producing storms (hail, flash floods), floods, or tsunamis.

Property entry/search

Definition
Entry into or search of a premises by external authorities.

Remote threat against agency

Definition
Incidents in which the organisation or an employee receives a threat not delivered face-to-face but by some remote mechanism (e.g. email, SMS, phone, or general threats issued on a website or social media). May include direct threats shouted by civilians during demonstrations.

Remote threat against organisation or staff

Definition
Incident in which an employee or organisation received any form of a specific threat that was not delivered face to face. These can include direct threats delivered by email SMS or phone or general threats issued on websites in the media or in public statements including in the form of demonstrations by angry civilians. Remote threat incidents have ‘Communication’ as the coding under ‘TypeOfArea’.

Reputational risk

Definition
Incidents involving a perceived real actual or potential risk to the organisation’s branded logo/emblem image or reputation.

Takeover/occupation of organisational offices

Definition
The seizure and occupation of an organisation’s building warehouse or compound by civilian or government agents.

Threat of closure

Definition
Incidents involving the threat of forced closure of an activity programme or organisation.

Witness

Definition
Incidents in which a staff member witnesses an attack or crime against another staff member family member(s) or beneficiaries.

Perpetrator
The classification of the perpetrator(s) reportedly responsible for the incident.

Administration

Definition
Individuals involved in activities to determine laws or regulations, and/or order their enforcement. These individuals can be an administrator/authority of a country/territory, a member of the high command level of an armed force, or someone within an armed group that has assumed the de-facto control of a territory.

Beneficiary

Definition
A individual directly  receiving) aid or services.

Civilian

Definition
A civilian (e.g. refugee, IDP, villager, settler, etc.) but not a direct beneficiary.

Criminal

Definition
A criminal either acting alone or as part of an organised crime group.

Employee or former employee

Definition
A current or former employee of the organisation.

Law enforcement

Definition
Individual or organs of the law enforcement apparatus of the state (police and ‘security forces’) that act under the orders of the state’s law enforcement system. This excludes military forces and private security actors.

Multiple

Definition
Multiple perpetrators from different categories were involved in the attack.

No information

Definition
The report does not identify the perpetrator, or the perpetrator is unknown.

Non-state armed groups

Definition
A named armed group that is not part of the state’s law enforcement military or security apparatus. Includes private armies vigilantes and rebel guerrilla or terrorist groups but does not include private security actors.

Private security

Definition
The perpetrator belongs to a private security firm or functions as a bodyguard or security guard.

Relative or associate

Definition
A family member, spouse, friend, or other person(s) known by an employees.

State actor

Definition
Soldiers of a state army who act under orders of the state military command.

Sub-contractor

Definition
A professional, often from the private sector, contracted to carry out a specific service.

Unspecified non-military armed actors(s)

Definition
A group of unidentified or unnamed armed people (also referred to as  rebel, or extremist groups) with some form of affiliation  with military (wearing army fatigues or using military-type structures) without official indication of being  linked to any state army.

Programme affected
The category to describe the type of programme affected by the incident. Please provide this information as fully as possible.

Aid

Definition
The services affected by this incident were related to aid delivery.

Health

Definition
The services affected by this incident were health related.

Education

Definition
The services affected by this incident were education related.

Livelihood

Definition
The services affected by this incident were food or income related.

No information

Definition
The available report did not include information about the type of service affected in the incident

Other

Definition
Any other service not listed above.

Protection

Definition
The services affected by this incident were related to the protection of IDPs or refugees.

WASH

Definition
The services affected by this incident were related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programmes.

Road safety accident (RSA)
Any road safety accident involving an organisation’s vehicles. ‘Vehicle’ refers to any form of transportation involved in a traffic accident occurring when staff are both on and off duty including but not limited to cars trucks buses motorcycles or others (bicycles, boats).

Motorcycle fatalities

Definition
Motorcycle accident resulting in employee fatalities.

Motorcycle injuries

Definition
Motorcycle accident resulting in employee injuries.

Motorcycle no injuries

Definition
Motorcycle accident causing no employee injuries.

Other traffic accident

Definition
Other road traffic accidents not listed here. If this category is selected the reporter should provide the details in the ‘incident description’ field.

Vehicle fatalities

Definition
Vehicle accident resulting in employee fatalities.

Vehicle injuries

Definition
Vehicle accident resulting in employee injuries.

Vehicle no injuries

Definition
Vehicle accident causing no employee injuries.

Security measures
Actions taken by aid agencies in response to generalised insecurity or a particular security incident.

Evacuation

Definition
Refers to the removal of employees from a location or the country of operation.

Evacuation: medical

Definition
An evacuation of an employee for medical reasons, generally involving injuries or illness that cannot be treated adequately at a local hospital, doctor’s office or treatment centre.

Evacuation: non-medical

Definition
An evacuation of an employee for security reasons.

Hibernation

Definition
Process of sheltering in place until the danger has passed or further assistance is provided.

Imposed curfew

Definition
The imposition of a regulation requiring people to remain indoors between specified hours in a city or country in which the organisation has an office.

Office closure

Definition
A decision to close an office in response to the general security context or a specific incident.

Ongoing monitoring

Definition
The process of actively monitoring a security situation with a view to determine if and when there may be a need to change security measures.

Programme suspension

Definition
The process of significantly modifying planned activities usually by halting a specific activity or programme.

Relocation of staff

Definition
The movement of staff to another city or office within the country of operation for security reasons.

Restricted travel: no curfew

Definition
Any restrictions on travel that affect staff but do not involve the imposition of a curfew. This type of incident is similar to a travel advisory and may be the result of political or social unrest outbreaks of disease or natural disasters.

Sexual violence and abuse
Any sexual act or attempt to commit a sexual act, sometimes done using violence or coercion. Sexual violence can range from unwanted sexual comments and harassment to rape.

Aggressive sexual behaviour

Definition
Potentially violent behaviour focused on gratifying sexual drives.

Attempted sexual assault

Definition
Attempted act of sexual contact on the body of another person without their consent.

Other sexual acts

Definition
When a person takes or shares nude pictures or videos of another person without permission.

Rape

Definition
Sexual intercourse (oral, vaginal, or anal penetration) against the will and without the consent of the person.

Sexual assault

Definition
Act of sexual contact on the body of another person without his/her consent.

Sexual violence in conflict

Definition
Occurs in regions affected by conflict. The perpetrator is a conflict actor such as a member of state forces or non-state armed groups and the survivor is a member of a social group affected by conflict recognizable by the fact that they sought protection in an IDP or refugee systems.

Sexual exploitation

Definition
Any actual or attempted abuse of position or vulnerability, differential power or trust, for sexual purposes, including but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially, or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.

Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA)

Definition
Occurs when an aid worker, field staff member or local official working in the aid response attempts or performs acts of sexual exploitation, violence or abuse on children, families, and communities where they are working.

Sexual harassment

Definition
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that affects the employment of the targeted person. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Examples:
• Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly regarding the terms/ conditions of an individual’s employment.
• Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment decisions affecting the individual.

Sexual violence in the aid workplace

Definition
This occurs when a person attempts to perform or performs acts of sexual violence against a colleague peer former employee or volunteer at work.

Solicitation of transactional sex

Definition
A request for transactional sex (see ‘transactional sex’, below).

Stalking

Definition
When a person carries out unwanted or repeated surveillance of or actions directed at another person.

Transactional sex

Definition
The exchange of money employment goods or services for sex including sexual favours and other forms of humiliating degrading or exploitative behaviour e.g. being forced to engage in sexual activity in order to retain or gain employment.

Unwanted sexual comments

Definition
Verbal advances that include whistling, shouting, and/or saying sexually explicit or implicit phrases or propositions that are unwanted.

Unwanted sexual touching

Definition
Unwanted touching of a sexual nature regardless of the intensity of the touch. May include massaging groping grabbing or grazing of any part of another person’s body.

Type of organisation affected
The classification of the organisations affected in the incident.

INGO

Definition
The services affected by this incident were provided by an international NGO.

LNGO

Definition
The services affected by this incident were provided by a local NGO, usually working as a subcontractor to an international or UN service provider.

No information

Definition
The available report did not include information about the affected service provider.

Other

Definition
The services affected by this incident were provided by another type of organisation type not listed above.

RCRC

Definition
The services affected by this incident were provided by a member of the Red Cross and Red Crescent family, e.g. either the ICRC, the IFRC or a national society.

UN

Definition
The services affected by the incident were provided by a United Nations agency, usually the World Health Organization (WHO), or a specialist agency providing a particular form of healthcare (e.g. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), etc.).

Unspecified NGO

Definition
The services affected by this incident were provided by an NGO but it is unclear if it was an INGO or LNGO.

Type of location of incidents
This refers to the type of location where the incident took place.

Administration

Definition
During an administrative procedure or while the victim was obeying an order from a recognized/government authority.

Airstrip

Definition
On an airstrip includes an airport or an aircraft in the air.

Checkpoint

Definition
At a checkpoint, gate, or roadblock.

Communication

Definition
In the form of a communication (e.g. phone call, SMS, letter, email, social media etc.).

Compound

Definition
At or in a compound of the organisation providing the service.

Crowded area

Definition
In an open public space where many people are moving about such as a market or bazaar.

Health building

Definition
At or in a health-related building hospital clinic hospital office or first aid post.

IDP or refugee camp

Definition
At or in a temporary or permanent camp for refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs).

No information

Definition
It is unclear from the available information where the incident took place.

Office building

Definition
At or in an office building or compound.

Open space

Definition
The incident occurred in an open space such as a field, an open market or any other open space.

Other

Definition
In any area not listed here. If this category is selected, the reporter should provide the details in the ‘incident description’ field.

Police station

Definition
At a police station or compound.

Project site

Definition
Onsite or at the location of where a project is being implemented.

Public building

Definition
At or in a public building (e.g. restaurants, churches, mosques, hotels etc.).

Residence

Definition
At or in a residence of an aid worker include an incident that occurred immediately outside such a residence.

Road

Definition
The incident occurred on a road involving any mode of transportation (e.g., foot, motorbike, vehicle, etc.) either during a road journey (in an unspecified location), between places, or in transit.

School

Definition
At a school or place of education.

Ship

Definition
On a boat or ship.

Warehouse

Definition
At or in a warehouse, including docks.

Water

Definition
On or beside water (river, lake, sea, ocean).

Unrest
This refers to civil or political unrest and tumultuous or mob-like behaviour including looting prison uprisings crowds setting things on fire or general fighting with police (typically involving protestors).

Demonstration

Definition
Any demonstration (protests, marches, sit-ins, picketing) that is non-violent a mass gathering of people for a political or social purpose.

Looting

Definition
Theft during unrest, violence, riots, or other upheavals.

Other

Definition
Any other activity not listed above.

Strike/no show

Definition
Deliberate decision by staff not to come to work for reasons other than illness.

Weapon(s) used
The type of weapon(s) used in an incident that affected staff, infrastructure, or the delivery of aid.

Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons

Definition
Any use of biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological weapons in a city or country where the organisation has an office.

Explosives

Definition
Any use of explosive weapons that involves the organisation’s employees or property.

Firearm

Definition
Any use of firearms or handheld weaponry that involves the organisation’s employees or property.

No information

Definition
A weapon or weapons were used in the incident but the type of weapon is unclear.

Other type of weapon

Definition
Any use of a blunt instrument fire knife or stone that involves the organisation’s employees or property.

Explosive weapons use
The type of explosive weapon(s) used in the incident that affected staff, infrastructure, or the delivery of aid.

Aerial bomb- air-launched explosives

Definition
An explosive weapon dropped from the air (or air-dropped weapon) including incendiary weapons but excluding cluster bombs and surface-to-surface missiles (see below).

Cluster bomb

Definition
Air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that ejects smaller submunitions when it explodes.

Hand grenade

Definition
Small explosive device thrown by hand, designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time.

Improvised explosive device (IED)

Definition
An informal explosive device built out of conventional explosive devices and that is not manufactured by a registered and regulated company.

Landmine or mine – directly emplaced explosive

Definition
Usually an explosive device buried in the ground that explodes when a person or vehicle passes over and activates it.

Other

Definition
Any other explosive weapon not listed above or a combination of the weapons listed above. If this category is selected the reporter should provide the details in the ‘incident description’ field.

Radio-controlled improvised explosive device (RCIED)

Definition
An improvised explosive device that is detonated by a radio or mobile phone signal when the target is near.

Surface-launched weapon

Definition
Missiles, mortars or shells that are launched from a mobile or stationary launch system includes rocket-propelled grenades.

Suicide vest improvised explosive device (SVIED)

Definition
Person-borne improvised explosive device (e.g. explosive suicide belt, explosives in a backpack, etc.).

Vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED)

Definition
Vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (car bomb, a car containing an explosive device).

Other weapon
Any other weapon used that does not fall into any of the categories above.

Blunt

Definition
Includes any blunt instrument (e.g. baton, bat, metal bar, etc.).

Fire

Definition
Includes any instrument associated with fire-making (e.g., matches, kerosene, propellant, etc.).

Gas

Definition
Gas or substance mixed with gas, including teargas.

Knife

Definition
Includes stabbing or the use of any instrument with a sharp blade (e.g. machete, knife, axe, etc.).

Multiple

Definition
Several types of weapon are involved in the incident.

Other

Definition
Any other items used not listed here.

Stones

Definition
Includes rocks, stones, sticks, etc.

Sword

Definition
A weapon consisting typically of a long, straight or slightly curved, pointed blade having one or two cutting edges and set into a hilt.

Technology

Definition
Includes any technological device used to deliver a threat (e.g. a phone, internet, malware etc.).