Downing Street mortar attack

Downing Street mortar attack
Part of The Troubles
Mountbatten Green, where two of the shells landed. In the background is the Foreign Office and to the left is the back of 12 Downing Street.
Location10 Downing Street, London, England, UK
Coordinates51°30′13″N 00°07′41″W / 51.50361°N 0.12806°W / 51.50361; -0.12806
Date7 February 1991
10:08 am (GMT)
TargetJohn Major
Attack type
Mortar attack
Assassination attempt
Deaths0
Injured4
PerpetratorProvisional IRA

The Downing Street mortar attack was carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 7 February 1991. The IRA launched three homemade mortar shells at 10 Downing Street, London, the headquarters of the British government, in an attempt to assassinate Prime Minister John Major and his war cabinet, who were meeting to discuss the Gulf War.

One of the 140 pound (64 kg) mortar shells exploded in the back garden of Number 10, a few yards from the Cabinet Office. Due to bomb-resistant windows, none of the cabinet were hurt, though four other people received minor injuries, including two Metropolitan Police officers. The other two shells overshot Downing Street and landed on a green nearby.


Developed by StudentB