International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism

The Figure 2.1 shows that there have been several distinct phases in terrorist activity since 2007. In 2007 and 2008, most terrorist activity was concentrated in Iraq and Afghanistan in response to the US and its allies’ interventions. This impacted Pakistan, leading to an escalation in terrorist activities from 2008 to 2013. The Arab Spring and the rise of Islamic State (IS) triggered a surge in terrorism across the Middle East from 2011 to 2013, particularly in Syria and Iraq, while the growth of Boko Haram led to terrorism increasing in Nigeria. At its peak in 2015, almost 11,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks in a single year. From 2016, deaths from terrorism began to decline. Iraq saw a marked reduction in terrorism starting in 2017, whereas Afghanistan experienced an increase in terrorism from 2016 to 2021, followed by a notable decline in 2022 after the Taliban's ascension to power. During the same period, the Sahel region saw a significant rise in terrorist inciden...

   Number of countries with a recorded terrorist incident increased from 58 to 66 countries in 2024.  Deaths from terrorism fell to 7,555 in 2024, a 13 per cent reduction from the prior year. The fall follows the surge in deaths in 2023, driven by Hamas’ October 7 attack in Israel. The number of terrorist attacks fell by three per cent in 2024, to 3,492 total attacks. This was driven by an 85 per cent decrease in terrorist activity in Myanmar. Without the reduction in Myanmar, attacks would have increased by eight per cent. The Sahel is the most affected region globally , accounting for over half of all deaths from terrorism, and 19 per cent of attacks globally, in 2024. Five of the ten countries most impacted by terrorism are in the Sahel region. Burkina Faso remains the country most impacted by terrorism this year, despite attacks and deaths falling by 57 and 21 per cent respectively. A fifth of all terrorism deaths globally were in Burkina Faso, followed by Pakis...

  Measuring the impacts of terrorism.

  Terrorism remains a persistent global threat, with 2024 marking another year of shifting patterns and evolving challenges with the geographic reach of terrorism spreading. The number of countries experiencing at least one terrorist incident increased from 58 to 66, the most countries affected since 2018. In 2024, more countries deteriorated than improved for the first time in seven years, with 45 countries reporting a higher impact from terrorism, while only 34 showed improvement. Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates remained the deadliest terrorist organisation in 2024, responsible for 1,805 deaths across 22 countries. The four major terrorist organisations, IS, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and al-Shabaab continued to increase their activity, with deaths attributed to these groups increasing by 11 per cent to 4,204. In 2023, these groups were active in 29 countries which increased to 30 countries in 2024. In 2024, 36 per cent of ...