Trauma and identification of victims of suicidal terrorism in Israel

The postmortem examination and identification procedures performed by medic al and law enforcement personnel involved in mass disaster management in Is rael are reported. The Israel National Police, the Israel Defense Forces, a nd the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine's experts examined 171 v ictims who died in 21 incidents of suicidal terrorism. The trauma sustained by the victims and perpetrators of suicidal bombings included complete bod y disruption and explosive, flying missile, and blast injuries, The modus o perandi of the perpetrators, reconstructed from the distribution and type o f injury of the victims, is discussed. Fifty-five victims perished in open space bombings and 91 inside buses. All perpetrators of these bombings died at the time of the incident regardless of their location. Identification o f the victims was achieved using fingerprints, dental. records, medical int ervention signs, anatomic variation, genetic profile, and personal recognit ion. Prompt identification of the perpetrators allowed speedy apprehension of the accomplices and prevention of similar attacks. Collaboration between the different forensic, military, and law enforcement teams increased the efficiency of disaster management efforts.