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WASHINGTON —The recent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump marks a rare event in U.S. history but shines light on a more common global phenomenon.
Political assassinations have long been a part of human history, often occurring in countries with limited political competition and strong polarization and fragmentation, according to research by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.
These conditions can lead to a decline in political legitimacy and increased violence, especially during elections and domestic strife, the center said in a 2015 report.
Modern South Asia has been a hotbed of political assassinations. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948 by a militant Hindu nationalist upset over his pro-Muslim sympathies.
Gandhi's assassination shocked the young nation, but also spurred calls for national unity, with key leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel putting aside their differences to unify India, according to historian Ramachandra Guha.
The type of political violence that took Gandhi's life is not unique to India. All but two South Asian nations - Bhutan and the Maldives - have lost national leaders to assassins' bullets or suicide bombs. While heads of state have been frequent targets, many other political leaders, from chief ministers to members of parliament, have also been victims.
The Combating Terrorism Center's research found that political assassinations have become more frequent in South Asia in recent decades, with 76% of the total occurring since the mid-1980s.
Here is a look at major political assassinations across the region and their fallout:
Afghanistan
Bangladesh:
India:
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka