The
number of people killed globally in terrorist attacks jumped 80 percent last
year to the highest level ever recorded, the Institute for Economics and Peace
said Tuesday.
The
study defines terrorism as “the threatened or actual use of illegal force and
violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or
social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation”.The Global Terrorism Index
found that 32,658 people were killed by terrorists in 2014, up from the 18,111
fatalities of the previous year, the largest increase on record.
Nigeria-based Boko Haram and
the Islamic State group were
responsible for more than half of the deaths, according to the study, which
measures attacks, deaths and damage from terror attacks in 162 countries.
“Terrorism is gaining momentum at an unprecedented pace,” said
Steve Killelea, the executive chairman of the Institute of Economics and Peace,
which produces the study.
The increase followed a 61 percent rise in 2013.
The study found that
terrorism was highly concentrated, with the five countries ofAfghanistan,Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria accounting for 78 percent of deaths last
year.
Iraq was the worst
affected with 9,929 deaths from terrorism — suffering both the highest number
of attacks and the most fatalities from terrorism ever recorded by a country.
The biggest rise in
fatalities from terrorism however was in Nigeria,
which saw an increase of over 300 percent in deaths to 7,512.
Western states were much less at risk from attacks, which were
most likely to be perpetrated by lone wolves driven by political extremism,
nationalism or racial and religious supremacy rather than Islamic
fundamentalism, according to the study.
Britain suffered greatest
number of terrorist incidents in the West, mostly relating to Irish republican
paramilitaries in Northern Ireland,
it found.
Nevertheless, attacks
claimed by Islamic State in Paris that killed at least 129 last week could
prove to be a milestone, according to Killelea.
“The Paris incident in many ways is a watershed
within Europe. It shows that Isil (IS) has the capabilities to be able to launch
sophisticated and deadly attacks in Europe,” Killelea said.
He warned that foreign
fighters who had travelled to Iraq and Syria, estimated to number between 25,000 and
30,000 since 2011, could prove a risk.
“The returning fighters
from Syria will have the military training,”
Killelea said.
“The tactics of Isis are changing. They are targeting more
private citizens. It’s difficult – taking the time frame forward two years – to
see the Isis threat disappearing.”
The study estimated that the economic cost of terrorism amounted
to $52.9 billion, the highest ever level and a tenfold increase since 2000.
Source: Vanguard News
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