The world football fraternity was left shocked when three explosions hit a bus carrying Borussia Dortmund players on Tuesday, April 11. The German club stars were heading towards the Signal Iduna Park, where Dortmund were set to face Monaco FC in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Though none of the players were seriously injured, one of their players Marc Batra had to undergo a surgery for a broken bone in his hand after being injured. All the other players were safe.
There is no official confirmation as to who is behind these attacks, but a letter is said to have been found near the scene of attack claiming responsibility for it. As a result, the game, as expected, was postponed to Wednesday.
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Sports teams, in the past, have also been targeted, and here is a list of some major attacks in the world of sports.
1972 Olympics Games in Munich
It is one of the darkest days in sports history, where 11 athletes from Israel Olympic team were taken hostage by a Palestinian militant group known as Black September. These 11 athletes, along with other officials and German police personnel, were killed by the group. The siege lasted for 16 hours, where five terrorists were shot dead by the German police. The greatest sporting event in the world had to be suspended for a day as well.
Who was responsible: Palestinian militant group Black September
How many died: 11 athletes and some officials
Car bomb explosion outside Santiago Bernabeu, 2002
When players of both Real Madrid and Barcelona were gearing up for their Champions League semi-final game, a car-bomb explosion took place outside the venue – Santiago Bernabeu -- leading to injuries to some people.
Who was responsible: Basque separatist organisation Eta
How many died: 17 people injured, no deaths
Weliveriya bombing, 2008
A suicide bomber detonated a bomb before the start of a marathon, which was supposed to celebrate Sri Lanka's New Year. It turned into shambles as an Olympian and a national coach lost their lives during the bombing. Several others were killed.
Who was responsible: Sri Lanka government blamed Tamil Tigers, a terror group in the country.
How many died: 15 deaths and 90 people injured
Sri Lanka cricket team attack in Lahore in 2009
A bus, which was heading towards the match venue for the second Test against Pakistan carrying the Sri Lanka cricket team, was attacked by around 12 gunmen near the Gaddaffi Stadium in Lahore. Seven cricketers, including captain Mahela Jayawardene and vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara, suffered minor injuries. As a result, cricket teams fear travelling to the country and play cricket. Pakistan have not hosted any top nation since this attack.
Who was responsible: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
How many died: Six policemen and two officials
Togo national football team attack, 2010
The Togo national team bus, which was travelling for the Africa Cup of nations in 2010, was attacked by people with machine guns. They opened fire as soon as the bus crossed the border, into the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, leading to the death of Amelete Abalo, who was the assistant coach of the team.
Who was responsible: Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda
How many died: 3 deaths and 9 people were injured
Boston Marathon bomb blasts, 2013
Two bombs were detonated near the finish line, where a number of spectators were waiting to see the runners cross the line. The bombs, which were placed inside a backpack, contained pellets and nails. It resulted in injuries to those near the blast site.
Who was responsible: Chechen-American brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
How many died: Six deaths and 264 people injured
