The pipe bomb: a modern terrorist weapon

The use of pipe bombs by terrorist organisations around the world has risen dramatically. The pipe bomb is simple and easy to make and details of bomb construction are freely available from the Internet. Components can be found in most hardware stores and thus give little forensic information. Despite the increasing use of pipe bombs, clinicians may be unfamiliar with the type of injuries they cause. This paper describes two incidents of pipe bomb explosions and illustrates the type of injuries sustained by both terrorists and victims.