Terrorism left more than 8,350 dead in 2023, including 1,200 from Hamas in Israel and 1,900 in Burkina Faso

The African country is already the most punished, according to the Global Terrorism Index, which counts fewer but much deadlier attacks

MADRID, 3 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Terrorism left more than 8,350 dead worldwide, which represents an increase of 22% compared to the previous year, motivated among other things by the 1,200 fatalities of the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 against Israel and by the fact that that although there are fewer attacks, they are increasingly deadly, according to the latest Global Terrorism Index.

Specifically, 8,352 deaths were recorded, the highest figure since 2017 but still 23% lower than the record of 2015, the worst year since the Institute for Economy and Peace (IEP, for its acronym in English) began to prepare this index. Even if the attack committed by Hamas, the worst in the world after the 9/11 attacks in the United States by Al Qaeda, was excluded, the number of victims would have registered an increase of 5%, states the report, to which it has had access. Europe Press.

Despite this increase in the death toll, last year there were 22% fewer terrorist attacks (3,350), with Pakistan recording the highest number of them, with 490. These data show that "terrorism "It's becoming more concentrated and more lethal."

Thus, the fatality rate rose to almost 2.5 deaths per attack in 2023 compared to 1.6 in 2022, the highest level since 2015, while the number of countries that registered terrorist attacks has also decreased, to 41, compared to compared to 44 the previous year and 57 that occurred in the worst year to date.

Likewise, the index has also noted a considerable reduction in the number of active terrorist groups in the last 15 years, with 66 groups carrying out at least one attack last year compared to 141 active groups in 2009.

Once again, for the ninth consecutive year, Islamic State and its affiliates remain the deadliest terrorist group worldwide, followed by the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM, Al Qaeda's affiliate in the Sahel), the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Al Shabaab (Al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia). These four groups are behind the deaths of 4,443 people.

However, the terrorist organization that came to proclaim its 'caliphate' left the lowest number of victims since 2014, with 1,636 deaths, 17% less than in 2022, and carried out actions in 20 countries, compared to the 30 in which committed attacks in 2020.

On the other hand, Burkina Faso is already the most punished country, after recording 1,907 fatalities, 68% more than in 2022, in a total of 258 attacks, 17% less. This figure represents almost a quarter of those killed by terrorism worldwide.

The report once again shows that the Sahel is currently the region most affected by terrorism, since it accounts for almost half of the total fatalities (47% with almost 4,000) and 26% of the attacks. Among the 'top 10' of most affected countries are four from this region -Burkina Faso (1), Mali (3), Nigeria (8) and Niger (10) -. In the last 15 years, terrorism has skyrocketed in this region of Africa, with 2,860% more deaths and 1,266 more attacks.

This is the first time, since the index began thirteen years ago, that the first position is not occupied by Afghanistan or Iraq. In the case of the latter country, it is not even among the ten worst countries, after registering a decrease in the number of deaths of 99% and 90% fewer attacks since 2007, its peak. In 2023 there were 65% fewer deaths.

As for Afghanistan, it has also recorded considerable improvement in the last year, although the report does not count acts committed by the Taliban since they now rule the country. Thus, there were 81% fewer deaths, which allowed the country to stop being the most punished for the first time since 2019.

This time Israel has slipped into second place in the ranking after registering the largest increase in the number of fatalities last year, with 1,210, compared to 24 the previous year. Completing the list of the ten countries with the most deaths from terrorism are Pakistan (4), Syria (5), Afghanistan (6), Somalia (7) and Burma (9). These ten countries accounted for 87% of all fatalities.

Meanwhile, terrorism in the West has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years, with only 23 attacks throughout the year, 55% less and far from the 176 attacks that occurred in 2017. In total, 21 deaths were recorded. , 22% less. Of the seven attacks that were recorded in the United States, five were linked to individuals with sympathies or ties to the extreme right.

However, as the report highlights, "terrorism is not the deadliest form of violence" since armed conflicts leave nine times more dead, homicides 45 times more and suicides 72 times more. However, "it is unique given that its unpredictability and high death rates lead to significant emotional and psychological impacts that can in turn cause significant social and geopolitical repercussions."