Week 2: The impact of terrorism

THE IMPACT OF TERRORISM

learning objectives • understand the existence of various terrorist

groups • identify some of the major terrorist attacks

that took place in recent years • explain who the main targets of terrorism are

main terrorist groups


The five most deadly terrorist groups were responsible for 74 per cent of all deaths from terrorism by known actors in 2014.


The most deadly terrorist group in 2014 was Boko Haram which killed 6,644 people. ISIL was the second most deadly terrorist group, killing 6,073 people in terrorist acts.


The Taliban, the most deadly group in 2013, dropped to the third most deadly group in 2014 despite killing 3,477 people.


The fourth most deadly terrorist group of 2014 was Fulani militants, a terrorist groups based in Nigeria. the death toll caused by this group was 1,229 people.


The fifth most deadly group in 2014, al-Shabaab, was also the fifth most deadly in 2013. Despite being ranked the same, al-Shabaab killed 504 more people in 2014 which was almost double the number of people it killed in the previous year.


The five most deadly terrorist groups are also responsible for more deaths than those caused by their terrorist acts. All of the groups also engaged in battle with either government or non-state actors.

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Boko Haram

Boko Haram was the deadliest terrorist group in 2014, killing 6,644 people. The name Boko Haram can be translated as ‘Western education is forbidden.’

Boko Haram

Boko Haram seeks to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria. Following a dispute with Nigerian government and the death of their leader Mohamad Yusuf in 2009, the group began engaging in a campaign of violence.

Boko Haram

In 2014 Boko Haram doubled its attacks and more than quadrupled the number of deaths from terrorism. in 2014 it was the first time that they committed an attack outside of Nigeria.

Boko Haram

attacks in bordering countries have increased in 2015. In the past year, the group formally pledged allegiance to ISIL.

Boko Haram

Private citizens, who make up 77 per cent of fatalities, are overwhelmingly the target of Boko Haram’s attacks. These attacks are also extremely deadly, with an average of 17 people killed per attack.

ISIL

ISIL, also known as ISIS, Islamic State or Daesh, is a terrorist group based in Syria and Iraq. It emerged from al-Qa’ida in Iraq, moving into Syria during the Syrian civil war.

ISIL

In February 2014 al-Qa’ida formally broke ties with ISIL, with the leader of al-Qa’ida stating ISIL disobeyed directions from al-Qa’ida to kill fewer civilians.

ISIL

Like other fundamentalist jihadi groups, ISIL seeks to create an area of Islamic rule. They now control a significant amount of territory in both Iraq and Syria.

ISIL

ISIL has claimed to be fighting a holy war against Shia Muslims, Christians and Yazidis, an ethno-religious group in Iraq and Syria.

ISIL

In 2014 ISIL killed 5,002 more people from terrorism than in the previous year, representing a threefold increase. Ninety per cent of attacks were in Iraq.

TALIBAN

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996 and ruled until 2001, when they were overthrown by the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. They have since regrouped as an insurgency movement to fight the now former Karsai administration and the NATO-led Forces.

TALIBAN In 2014 the Taliban killed the most people from terrorism since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2002. There were 3,477 people killed from 891 attacks, which is a 38 per cent increase in fatalities and 48 per cent increase in attacks from the previous year.

TALIBAN

The Taliban are seeking to destabilise the country through undermining the institutions of government. For this reason the police were the major target of the Taliban, accounting for 45 per cent of incidents and 53 per cent of deaths.

FULANI MILITANTS

Fulani militants in Nigeria come from a semi-nomadic, ethnic group and are engaged in conflict with farming communities. The Fulani, or Fula, people live in at least seven countries in West Africa and the tribe comprises over 20 million people.

FULANI MILITANTS

In Nigeria, Fulani communities have faced tension with farmer communities over resources for many years. Seventy per cent of Fulani’s are nomadic grazers.

FULANI MILITANTS

Alongside the destabilised security situation in Nigeria due to the increased activity of Boko Haram, there was a dramatic increase in attacks by Fulani militants in 2014. From 2010 to 2013, Fulani militants killed around 80 people in total. In 2014, they killed 1,229.

AL-SHABAAB

Al-Shabaab is an al-Qa’ida affiliate based in Somalia that is seeking to create an Islamic state in Somalia. The group was in control of cities throughout Somalia, including large areas of the capital Mogadishu.

AL-SHABAAB

due to a military campaign by the African Union, al-Shabaab no longer has the territorial reach it once had. Nevertheless, 2014 was the deadliest year for the group with the number of deaths from terrorism doubling to 1,021.

major terrorist attacks


The majority of terrorist attacks in the West are not carried out by well-organised international groups. Instead, the terrorist threat in the West largely comes from lone wolf terrorism.


Lone wolf terrorists are individuals or a small number of individuals who commit an attack in support of a group, movement, or ideology without material assistance or orders from such group.

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Week 2: The impact of terrorism

Education

Transcript of Week 2: The impact of terrorism