Deaths caused by terrorism increased by 22% in 2023 to 8,352, the highest level since 2017, according to The Global Terrorism Index (GTI)
The comprehensive study, which analyses the impact of terrorism for 163 countries covering 99.7 per cent of the worldโs population, found that in 2024, several Western countries reported one in five terror suspects as under 18, with teenagers accounting for most IS-linked arrests in Europe.
Steve Killelea, founder and executive Chairman, IEP, said: โThe last twelve months resulted in the most lives lost to terrorism than in any period since 2017. Conflict remains the primary driver of terrorism, yet most wars in the 21st century have been unwinnable and very costly. Terrorism also thrives in areas of political instability; it is imperative that current political tensions and minor conflicts do not escalate and that current conflicts are resolved, otherwise further increases in terrorism are likely.
โGlobally, we have seen real gains in recent years in our fight against terrorism, particularly in Western democracies. However, left unchecked regional instabilities could fan the flames of a new wave of terrorism. It is therefore important that global policymakers focus international efforts to address the current global conflicts and prevent the Gaza conflict from spreadingโ.
Here are the most dangerous organisations in the world:
Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) affiliate and The Resistance Front
A recent terrorist attack that shook the world was at least 26 people, including 25 Indian and a Nepali, died after terrorists shot them in the head at Pahalgam, India. Terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) affiliate and The Resistance Front, who are based in Pakistan, took responsibility however the countryโs government denied involvement. This led to India and Pakistan warring for 100 hours destroying each otherโs defence headquarters.
Al-Qaeda
A global terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden, known for its involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Al-Qaeda began as a logistical network to support Muslims fighting against the Soviet Union during the Afghan War; members were recruited throughout the Islamic world. When the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, the organization dispersed but continued to oppose what its leaders considered corrupt Islamic regimes and foreign (i.e., U.S.) presence in Islamic lands.
ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)
A militant group that controls territory in Syria and Iraq, known for its brutality and ideology. ISIS claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in nearly 20 other countries, including Afghanistan, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Tajikistan, and the United Kingdom. Human Rights Watch documents these abuses and their impact on the general population.
Hamas
A Palestinian Islamist organization that controls Gaza and is recognized by some countries as a terrorist group. The Hamas movement was founded by Palestinian Islamic scholar Ahmed Yassin in 1987, after the outbreak of the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation. It emerged from his 1973 Mujama al-Islamiya Islamic charity affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Taliban
A fundamentalist Sunni Islamist group that ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and has been involved in various terrorist acts. The Taliban emerged in 1994 as a prominent faction in the Afghan Civil War and largely consisted of students from the Pashtun areas of east and south Afghanistan, who had been educated in traditional Islamic schools.
Boko Haram
A Nigerian terrorist group that has targeted civilian populations and is linked to Al-Qaeda. Last September, afta Boko Haram militants attack Mafa town for Yobe, Northeast Nigeria, e don bring back fears of time wey pipo for di area believe say don go. Di attackers kill ova 100 pipo by di time di attack end.
Hizballah
A Shia Islamist political and military group with roots in Lebanon, known for its attacks on Israel and other groups. Hizballah has been involved in numerous anti-US terrorist attacks, including the suicide truck bombings of the US Embassy in Beirut in April 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut in October 1983, and the US Embassy annex in Beirut in September 1984, as well as the hijacking of TWA 847 in 1985 and the Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia in 1996.
Jaish-e-Mohammed
A Pakistan-based group that has targeted India. The Pakistan-based leader of a militant group lost 10 of his relatives have been killed in a missile strike by India earlier this month. Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), said his older sister and her husband, his nephew and his nephew’s wife, his niece and five children from his family were killed in a strike on a mosque in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
A rebel group from Uganda that has been involved in various acts of violence. Joseph Kony established the LRA in 1988 with the claim of restoring the honor of his ethnic Acholi people and to install a government based on his personal version of the Ten Commandments. Kony claims to channel various spirits who direct him to oust Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni; however, under Konyโs le
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