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- Category: Armenian Terrorism
- Published: 25 October 2009
- Hits: 81278
On August 26, 1896, at 6:30 in the morning, the first recorded act of urban terrorism of the world took place. Twenty six armed Armenian Tashnaksutyun terrorists raided the Ottoman Bank's Galata Branch in Istanbul, throwing bombs and opening fire on the unsuspecting guards and employees inside. After gaining control of the perimeter, the attackers published a list of political demands from the Ottoman Government. Following a day of standoff, 17 raiders left the Bank and were sent to France after the intervention of Sir Edgar Vincent, the Bank's President with Maximoff, the Russian Embassy's head dragoman, who represented the Powers. None of the demands of the assailants were met but a model had been created for all future terrorist raids, complete with hostage-taking, forced publication of a list of demands, and permission for the terrorists to leave the country - plus all the PR that accompanies an action of this type.