The Global Terrorism Index 2018 showed the decline was most pronounced in Iraq and Syria. Islamic State tops the list of deadliest terror groups, but far-right extremism is also on the rise.
For the third consecutive year, deaths caused by terrorism are down globally, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2018 report published on Wednesday by the Institute for Economics and Peace.
Global Peace Index ✔@GlobPeaceIndex These are the 5 countries most impacted by terrorism 1. Iraq 2. Afghanistan 3. Nigeria 4. Syria 5. Pakistan View the index: http://visionofhumanity.org/indexes #terrorismindex 4 7:32 AM – Dec 5, 2018
✔@GlobPeaceIndex
These are the 5 countries most impacted by terrorism
1. Iraq 2. Afghanistan 3. Nigeria 4. Syria 5. Pakistan
View the index: http://visionofhumanity.org/indexes #terrorismindex
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“The total number of deaths fell by 27 percent between 2016 and 2017, with the largest falls occurring in Iraq and Syria,” the report said.
However, despite both Middle East countries seeing the biggest improvement in sheer numbers, they still ranked in the top three countries most impacted by terrorism.
In total, Iraq recorded more than 5,000 fewer deaths as a result of terrorism last year, while Syria had more than 1,000 fewer compared to 2016.
Fall of ‘Islamic State’
The military defeat of the “Islamic State” (IS) militant group in Iraq and Syria resulted in the significant drop in terrorism-related deaths in the Middle East as well as in Europe.
“ISIL has now lost most of its territory and sources of revenue and is actively redirecting
“Despite its reduced capacity, ISIL remained the deadliest terrorist group globally in 2017.”
Europe sees ‘biggest improvement’
In Europe, the number of deaths fell by 75 percent.
“Europe was the region with the biggest improvement, and recorded a marked fall in terrorist activity, despite the threat of returnees and online radicalization,” the report said.
In western Europe, the number of deaths fell from 168 in 2016 to 81 in 2017. The most significant decline was noted in Germany, Turkey, France and Belgium. The UK, Sweden, Finland, Spain and Austria saw numbers rise.
However, the number of terrorist incidents went up in Europe, from 253 to 282 in 2017.
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