List of assassinations in Asia
Updated: 5/20/2026, 7:04:03 PM Wikipedia source
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.
Tables
· Afghanistan
20 February 1919
20 February 1919
Date
20 February 1919
Victim(s)
Habibullah Khan, emir of Afghanistan
Assassin(s)
Shuja-ud-Daula Ghourbandi
8 November 1933
8 November 1933
Date
8 November 1933
Victim(s)
Mohammed Nadir Shah, king of Afghanistan
Assassin(s)
Abdul Khaliq Hazara
17 April 1978
17 April 1978
Date
17 April 1978
Victim(s)
Mir Akbar Khyber, leftist intellectual and leader in the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
Notes
His assassination became a catalyst for the Saur Revolution
28 April 1978
28 April 1978
Date
28 April 1978
Victim(s)
Mohammed Daoud Khan, President of Afghanistan
Notes
Killed in the Saur Revolution
14 February 1979
14 February 1979
Date
14 February 1979
Victim(s)
Adolph Dubs, United States Ambassador to Afghanistan
Notes
Abducted and killed by an undetermined group
14 September 1979
14 September 1979
Date
14 September 1979
Victim(s)
Nur Mohammad Taraki, President of Afghanistan
Notes
Said to have been smothered to death with a pillow on the orders of Hafizullah Amin
27 December 1979
27 December 1979
Date
27 December 1979
Victim(s)
Hafizullah Amin, Prime Minister of Afghanistan
Notes
Killed by Soviet forces in the early stages of the Soviet–Afghan War
4 February 1987
4 February 1987
Date
4 February 1987
Victim(s)
Meena Keshwar Kamal, Afghan founder of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
20 March 1995
20 March 1995
Date
20 March 1995
Victim(s)
Abdul Ali Mazari, warlord and leader of the Hazara community
Assassin(s)
Taliban
Notes
Killed by the Taliban during the fall of Kabul
27 September 1996
27 September 1996
Date
27 September 1996
Victim(s)
Mohammed Najibullah, former president of Afghanistan
Notes
Killed along with his brother by the Taliban during the capture of Kabul
9 September 2001
9 September 2001
Date
9 September 2001
Victim(s)
Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of the Afghan Northern Alliance
Assassin(s)
Al Qaeda suicide bombers working for the Taliban posing as journalists
Notes
Killed by a bomb hidden in a camera 2 days before the 9/11 attacks.
26 October 2001
26 October 2001
Date
26 October 2001
Victim(s)
Abdul Haq, Afghan Northern Alliance commander
Notes
Killed by remnants of the Taliban
November 2001
November 2001
Date
November 2001
Victim(s)
Mohammed Atef, alleged military chief of al-Qaeda
Notes
Killed in a U . drone strike
November 2001
November 2001
Date
November 2001
Victim(s)
Juma Namangani, co-founder of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
6 July 2002
6 July 2002
Date
6 July 2002
Victim(s)
Abdul Qadir, Vice President of Afghanistan
14 February 2002
14 February 2002
Date
14 February 2002
Victim(s)
Abdul Rahman, Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism
12 May 2007
12 May 2007
Date
12 May 2007
Victim(s)
Dadullah, Taliban senior military commander
Notes
killed by British and German special forces
3 May 2007
3 May 2007
Date
3 May 2007
Victim(s)
Abdul Sabur Farid Kuhestani, former prime minister of Afghanistan
Notes
Assassinated outside his home in Kabul
27 August 2009
27 August 2009
Date
27 August 2009
Victim(s)
Tohir Yo'ldosh, co-founder of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Notes
Killed in a U . drone strike
17 July 2011
17 July 2011
Date
17 July 2011
Victim(s)
Jan Mohammad Khan, former governor of Uruzgan
Notes
Killed by the Taliban
20 September 2011
20 September 2011
Date
20 September 2011
Victim(s)
Burhanuddin Rabbani, former president of Afghanistan
Notes
Killed in a suicide bombing by the Taliban or the Haqqani network while leading peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban
12 July 2011
12 July 2011
Date
12 July 2011
Victim(s)
Ahmed Wali Karzai, half-brother of President Hamid Karzai
Assassin(s)
Sardar Mohammad
Notes
Shot twice in the head and chest by his security guard as he was coming out of his bathroom
5 June 2016
5 June 2016
Date
5 June 2016
Victim(s)
Shir Wali Wardak, Member of the National Assembly and member of the parliamentary economic committee.
Assassin(s)
Islamic State and maybe the Taliban.
Notes
Killed by a hidden bomb, along with 11 other people, including bodyguards.
18 October 2018
18 October 2018
Date
18 October 2018
Victim(s)
Abdul Raziq Achakzai, Lieutenant General of the Afghan Border Force
31 July 2022
31 July 2022
Date
31 July 2022
Victim(s)
Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of Al-Qaeda
Notes
Killed by a U . drone strike in Kabul. See Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri
11 August 2022
11 August 2022
Date
11 August 2022
Victim(s)
Rahimullah Haqqani, Islamic cleric
Notes
Killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul
2 September 2022
2 September 2022
Date
2 September 2022
Victim(s)
Mujib Rahman Ansari, Islamic cleric
Notes
Killed in a suicide bombing in Herat
15 January 2023
15 January 2023
Date
15 January 2023
Victim(s)
Mursal Nabizada, female former MP and Taliban critic
6 June 2023
6 June 2023
Date
6 June 2023
Victim(s)
Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, Governor of Badakhshan Province
11 December 2024
11 December 2024
Date
11 December 2024
Victim(s)
Khalil Haqqani, Acting Minister of Refugee and Repatriation
Notes
Killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul
| Date | Victim(s) | Assassin(s) | Notes |
| 20 February 1919 | Habibullah Khan, emir of Afghanistan | Shuja-ud-Daula Ghourbandi | |
| 8 November 1933 | Mohammed Nadir Shah, king of Afghanistan | Abdul Khaliq Hazara | |
| 17 April 1978 | Mir Akbar Khyber, leftist intellectual and leader in the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan | His assassination became a catalyst for the Saur Revolution | |
| 28 April 1978 | Mohammed Daoud Khan, President of Afghanistan | Killed in the Saur Revolution | |
| 14 February 1979 | Adolph Dubs, United States Ambassador to Afghanistan | Abducted and killed by an undetermined group | |
| 14 September 1979 | Nur Mohammad Taraki, President of Afghanistan | Said to have been smothered to death with a pillow on the orders of Hafizullah Amin | |
| 27 December 1979 | Hafizullah Amin, Prime Minister of Afghanistan | Killed by Soviet forces in the early stages of the Soviet–Afghan War | |
| 4 February 1987 | Meena Keshwar Kamal, Afghan founder of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan | ||
| 20 March 1995 | Abdul Ali Mazari, warlord and leader of the Hazara community | Taliban | Killed by the Taliban during the fall of Kabul |
| 27 September 1996 | Mohammed Najibullah, former president of Afghanistan | Killed along with his brother by the Taliban during the capture of Kabul | |
| 9 September 2001 | Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of the Afghan Northern Alliance | Al Qaeda suicide bombers working for the Taliban posing as journalists | Killed by a bomb hidden in a camera 2 days before the 9/11 attacks. |
| 26 October 2001 | Abdul Haq, Afghan Northern Alliance commander | Killed by remnants of the Taliban | |
| November 2001 | Mohammed Atef, alleged military chief of al-Qaeda | Killed in a U . drone strike | |
| November 2001 | Juma Namangani, co-founder of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan | ||
| 6 July 2002 | Abdul Qadir, Vice President of Afghanistan | ||
| 14 February 2002 | Abdul Rahman, Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism | ||
| 12 May 2007 | Dadullah, Taliban senior military commander | killed by British and German special forces | |
| 3 May 2007 | Abdul Sabur Farid Kuhestani, former prime minister of Afghanistan | Assassinated outside his home in Kabul | |
| 27 August 2009 | Tohir Yo'ldosh, co-founder of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan | Killed in a U . drone strike | |
| 17 July 2011 | Jan Mohammad Khan, former governor of Uruzgan | Killed by the Taliban | |
| 20 September 2011 | Burhanuddin Rabbani, former president of Afghanistan | Killed in a suicide bombing by the Taliban or the Haqqani network while leading peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban | |
| 12 July 2011 | Ahmed Wali Karzai, half-brother of President Hamid Karzai | Sardar Mohammad | Shot twice in the head and chest by his security guard as he was coming out of his bathroom |
| 5 June 2016 | Shir Wali Wardak, Member of the National Assembly and member of the parliamentary economic committee. | Islamic State and maybe the Taliban. | Killed by a hidden bomb, along with 11 other people, including bodyguards. |
| 18 October 2018 | Abdul Raziq Achakzai, Lieutenant General of the Afghan Border Force | ||
| 31 July 2022 | Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of Al-Qaeda | Killed by a U . drone strike in Kabul. See Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri | |
| 11 August 2022 | Rahimullah Haqqani, Islamic cleric | Killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul | |
| 2 September 2022 | Mujib Rahman Ansari, Islamic cleric | Killed in a suicide bombing in Herat | |
| 15 January 2023 | Mursal Nabizada, female former MP and Taliban critic | ||
| 6 June 2023 | Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, Governor of Badakhshan Province | ||
| 11 December 2024 | Khalil Haqqani, Acting Minister of Refugee and Repatriation | Killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul |
· Armenia
14 April 1992
14 April 1992
Date
14 April 1992
Victim(s)
Artur Mkrtchyan, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
15 April 1994
15 April 1994
Date
15 April 1994
Victim(s)
Vardges Petrosyan, novelist and playwright
Notes
death remains unsolved.
17 December 1994
17 December 1994
Date
17 December 1994
Victim(s)
Hambardzum Galstyan, former mayor of Yerevan and member of the Karabakh Committee
27 October 1999
27 October 1999
Date
27 October 1999
Victim(s)
Vazgen Sargsyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, Karen Demirchyan, President of the National Assembly of Armenia and 6 other politicians
Assassin(s)
Nairi Hunanyan
Notes
Were 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.
2 April 2013
2 April 2013
Date
2 April 2013
Victim(s)
Hrach Muradian, Mayor of Proshyan
| Date | Victim(s) | Assassin(s) | Notes |
| 14 April 1992 | Artur Mkrtchyan, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic | ||
| 15 April 1994 | Vardges Petrosyan, novelist and playwright | death remains unsolved. | |
| 17 December 1994 | Hambardzum Galstyan, former mayor of Yerevan and member of the Karabakh Committee | ||
| 27 October 1999 | Vazgen Sargsyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, Karen Demirchyan, President of the National Assembly of Armenia and 6 other politicians | Nairi Hunanyan | Were 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. |
| 2 April 2013 | Hrach Muradian, Mayor of Proshyan |
· Azerbaijan
26 September 1907
26 September 1907
Date
26 September 1907
Victim(s)
Khanlar Safaraliyev, labor organizer and Social Democrat
April 1993
April 1993
Date
April 1993
Victim(s)
Eduard Huseynov, counter admiral
Notes
Assassinated near his home in Baku.
29 September 1994
29 September 1994
Date
29 September 1994
Victim(s)
Afiyaddin Jalilov, deputy speaker of the National Assembly
Notes
Assassinated near his home in Baku
29 September 1994
29 September 1994
Date
29 September 1994
Victim(s)
Shamsi Rahimov, intelligence and national security chief
Notes
Assassinated near his home in Baku
17 March 1995
17 March 1995
Date
17 March 1995
Victim(s)
Rovshan Javadov, the chief of the Special Purpose Police Detachment of Azerbaijan
Notes
Killed in the 1995 Azeri coup d'état attempt
28 May 1996
28 May 1996
Date
28 May 1996
Victim(s)
Ali Ansukhski, member of the National Assembly
Assassin(s)
Mahir Ahmadov
Notes
Assassinated near his home in Baku
21 February 1997
21 February 1997
Date
21 February 1997
Victim(s)
Ziya Bunyadov, historian
Assassin(s)
Unknown, presumed to be Hezbollah
Notes
Assassinated near his home in Baku
13 March 2002
13 March 2002
Date
13 March 2002
Victim(s)
Rovshan Aliyev, criminalist
Assassin(s)
Haji Mammadov
14 June 2004
14 June 2004
Date
14 June 2004
Victim(s)
Fatulla Huseynov, colonel and vice president of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan
Assassin(s)
Haji Mammadov
Notes
Assassinated near his home in Baku
25 March 2005
25 March 2005
Date
25 March 2005
Victim(s)
Elmar Huseynov, journalist
Assassin(s)
Unknown, believed to be figures within the government of Azerbaijan
Notes
Shot at his home in Baku.
11 February 2009
11 February 2009
Date
11 February 2009
Victim(s)
Rail Rzayev, commander of the Azerbaijani Air Force
Notes
Assassinated near his home in Baku.
| Date | Victim(s) | Assassin(s) | Notes |
| 26 September 1907 | Khanlar Safaraliyev, labor organizer and Social Democrat | ||
| April 1993 | Eduard Huseynov, counter admiral | Assassinated near his home in Baku. | |
| 29 September 1994 | Afiyaddin Jalilov, deputy speaker of the National Assembly | Assassinated near his home in Baku | |
| 29 September 1994 | Shamsi Rahimov, intelligence and national security chief | Assassinated near his home in Baku | |
| 17 March 1995 | Rovshan Javadov, the chief of the Special Purpose Police Detachment of Azerbaijan | Killed in the 1995 Azeri coup d'état attempt | |
| 28 May 1996 | Ali Ansukhski, member of the National Assembly | Mahir Ahmadov | Assassinated near his home in Baku |
| 21 February 1997 | Ziya Bunyadov, historian | Unknown, presumed to be Hezbollah | Assassinated near his home in Baku |
| 13 March 2002 | Rovshan Aliyev, criminalist | Haji Mammadov | |
| 14 June 2004 | Fatulla Huseynov, colonel and vice president of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan | Haji Mammadov | Assassinated near his home in Baku |
| 25 March 2005 | Elmar Huseynov, journalist | Unknown, believed to be figures within the government of Azerbaijan | Shot at his home in Baku. |
| 11 February 2009 | Rail Rzayev, commander of the Azerbaijani Air Force | Assassinated near his home in Baku. |
· Bangladesh
15 August 1975
15 August 1975
Date
15 August 1975
Victim(s)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, independence leader and first President of Bangladesh
Assassin(s)
Members of the Awami League
Notes
Killed along with several members of his family in a coup planned by disgruntled Awami League colleagues and military officers led by Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad. See Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
3 November 1975
3 November 1975
Date
3 November 1975
Victim(s)
Muhammad Mansur Ali, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Notes
Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail in the aftermath of the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état
3 November 1975
3 November 1975
Date
3 November 1975
Victim(s)
Tajuddin Ahmad, former prime minister of Bangladesh
Notes
Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail in the aftermath of the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état
3 November 1975
3 November 1975
Date
3 November 1975
Victim(s)
Syed Nazrul Islam, former president of Bangladesh
Notes
Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail in the aftermath of the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état
3 November 1975
3 November 1975
Date
3 November 1975
Victim(s)
Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman, Minister of Industries
Notes
Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail in the aftermath of the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état
7 November 1975
7 November 1975
Date
7 November 1975
Victim(s)
Khaled Mosharraf, Chief of Army Staff
Notes
Killed during the 7 November 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état shortly after seizing power in the 3 November 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état
30 May 1981
30 May 1981
Date
30 May 1981
Victim(s)
Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh
Assassin(s)
Group of Bangladesh Army officers
Notes
Killed in a coup d'état led by General Abul Monjur. See Assassination of Ziaur Rahman
27 January 2005
27 January 2005
Date
27 January 2005
Victim(s)
Shah A M S Kibria, former Finance Minister
Notes
Killed in a grenade attack in his constituency of Habiganj, Sylhet
12 December 2025
12 December 2025
Date
12 December 2025
Victim(s)
Osman Hadi, poet and activist
Assassin(s)
Unknown
Notes
Shot in the head by after leaving a mosque. Hadi succumbed to his wounds on 18th December.
| Date | Victim(s) | Assassin(s) | Notes |
| 15 August 1975 | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, independence leader and first President of Bangladesh | Members of the Awami League | Killed along with several members of his family in a coup planned by disgruntled Awami League colleagues and military officers led by Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad. See Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman |
| 3 November 1975 | Muhammad Mansur Ali, Prime Minister of Bangladesh | Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail in the aftermath of the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état | |
| 3 November 1975 | Tajuddin Ahmad, former prime minister of Bangladesh | Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail in the aftermath of the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état | |
| 3 November 1975 | Syed Nazrul Islam, former president of Bangladesh | Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail in the aftermath of the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état | |
| 3 November 1975 | Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman, Minister of Industries | Killed by military officers in Dhaka Central Jail in the aftermath of the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état | |
| 7 November 1975 | Khaled Mosharraf, Chief of Army Staff | Killed during the 7 November 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état shortly after seizing power in the 3 November 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état | |
| 30 May 1981 | Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh | Group of Bangladesh Army officers | Killed in a coup d'état led by General Abul Monjur. See Assassination of Ziaur Rahman |
| 27 January 2005 | Shah A M S Kibria, former Finance Minister | Killed in a grenade attack in his constituency of Habiganj, Sylhet | |
| 12 December 2025 | Osman Hadi, poet and activist | Unknown | Shot in the head by after leaving a mosque. Hadi succumbed to his wounds on 18th December. |
· Bhutan
6 April 1964
6 April 1964
Date
6 April 1964
Victim(s)
Jigme Palden Dorji, Prime Minister of Bhutan
Assassin(s)
A Royal Bhutan Army corporal
Notes
Bahadur Namgyal, head of the Royal Bhutan Army, was later executed for the plot
| Date | Victim(s) | Assassin(s) | Notes |
| 6 April 1964 | Jigme Palden Dorji, Prime Minister of Bhutan | A Royal Bhutan Army corporal | Bahadur Namgyal, head of the Royal Bhutan Army, was later executed for the plot |
References
- 20th Century Timeline, p
- "Historic Assassinations Since 1865," The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004, p (World Almanac 2004)
- ww38http://ww38.pncp.net/members/mr-sherwali-wardak-mp
- "ISIS Claims Responsibility for Assassination of Afghan Lawmaker Sher Wali Wardak"http://www.memrijttm.org/isis-claims-responsibility-for-assassination-of-afghan-lawmaker-sher-wali-wardak.html
- "Afghan MP killed in Kabul bomb attack"http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/afghanistan-taliban-attack-logar-court-kills-160605090609051.html
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/daily/oct99/armenia27.htm
- "Onlar hamısı evinin kandarında öldürülüblər..."http://www.azadliq.org/content/article/1509496.html
- "Elmar Huseynov"http://www.cpj.org/killed/2005/elmar-huseynov.php
- "Azerbaijan air force head killed"https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7882911.stm
- "Chief Political Assassinations Since 1865," The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1967, p (World Almanac 1967)
- The Cambridge history of Islamhttps://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory0001unse_v9h2/
- A History of Shi'i Islamhttps://archive.org/details/shii-heritage-series-farhad-daftary-a-history-of-shii-islam-i.-b.-tauris-2013/
- The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines
- "Historic Assassinations Since 1865," The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1982 (World Almanac 1982), p750
- AP NEWShttps://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-iran-middle-east-tehran-d1fd66f3ae263b4dba4129df6cb43a20
- MSNhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/iran-says-senior-cleric-on-assembly-of-experts-shot-dead/ar-AA1amalh
- "Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is killed in Iran by an alleged Israeli strike, threatening escalation"https://apnews.com/article/iran-hamas-israel-30968a7acb31cd8b259de9650014b779
- Reutershttps://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-chief-ismail-haniyeh-killed-iran-hamas-says-statement-2024-07-31/
- NBC Newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gunman-kills-two-judges-iran-rcna188250
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/world/middleeast/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead.html