Western European Terror Victims Less Than 1%
A recent report by the University of Maryland’s Global Terrorism Database (GTD) project has found that terror attacks in Western Europe account for only 0.7% of all people killed in terror incidents in 2016.
The study revealed that, of 34,676 terror-related deaths, 238 people died in attacks in Western Europe. This included attacks in the UK, France, and Germany.
In contrast, 55% (19,121 people) of global terror victims were from North Africa and the Middle East. Further figures show that Iraq suffered 9 of the 11 deadliest terror attacks of 2016. Each was claimed by ISIL, which figures show was 2016’s deadliest terror group. Iraq also suffered the worst attack of the year; at least 382 people were left dead after a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a Baghdad shopping centre.
Pakistan was worst affected in South Asia with 1,100 deaths; while Nigeria and Somalia were the most targeted sub-Saharan nations.
GTD also revealed that, while there had been a 9% drop in total global terrorist attacks and a further 20% in Western European nations, there had been a 14% increase in North America after the Pulse nightclub shooting – this incident was the most devastating attack on the LGBTI community in American history.
A huge spike in the use of vehicles in terror attacks was also noted; figures to support this included the 2015 Bastille Day attack in Nice which killed 84 people, and the Berlin Christmas market attack which killed 12.
It should be noted that the figures from GTD do not include 2017’s terror attacks, such as the Manchester bombing and the recent attack in Barcelona.
