Terrorism is spreading around the world beyond anyone’s control. Nearly a year ago, the 2014 Global Terrorism Index Report was released. The GTI attempts to systematically rank the countries and nations of the world according to terrorist activity. The index combines different factors associated with terrorist attacks to build a picture of the impact of terrorism over a 10-year span. The index states that 82% of people killed in terrorist attacks were in just five countries. Since 2000, there has been over a five-fold increase in the number of people killed by terrorism.
Below is a list of the top 10 countries most-affected by terrorism today.
10. Thailand Index 7.19
There is on-going terrorism in Thailand. Last month, an explosion near central Bangkok killed 20 people and injured many more. There was a second attack a week later when a device detonated in the water near a main tourist ferry terminal in Bangkok.
9. Philippines Index 7.29
The Philippines is experiencing political conflicts carried out by rebel groups against the country’s government, its supporters and citizens. Since 2000, the radical Islamist groups have carried out more than 40 major attacks.
8. Yemen Index 7.31
In early 2015, suicide bombers attacked mosques in Yemen’s capital. ISIS laid claim to these attacks that killed at least 137 people and injured 357 more.
7. Somalia Index 7.41
For years, Somalia has been engaged in a brutal civil war between the Transitional Federal Government and various groups of Islamist rebels.
6. India Index 7.86
In July, terrorists attacked a police station in Dinanagar, causing several fatalities. The main focus of attacks in India are against Indian interests, however, terrorists have been known to attack places visited by tourists, such as restaurants, hotels, railway stations, markets, places of worship and sporting venues.
5. Syria Index 8.12
Syria is currently in the midst of a civil war that started during the spring of 2011. The United Nations has declared over 100,000 casualties since the war started.
This has also caused the latest news about refugees dying along the way or stuck in countries, like Hungary that are not their ultimate destination.
4. Nigeria Index 8.58
Boko Haram is an Islamist extremist group responsible for killing over 5,000 civilians between 2009 and 2014. Over 500 men, women and children have been abducted since 2009, including the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls last year.
3. Pakistan Index 9.37
There are 341 reported acts of terrorism in Pakistan from 2015. There has been a total of 462 civilians and security personnel killed and over 480 injured.
2. Afghanistan Index 9.39
When the Taliban came into power, terrorism found its way to Afghanistan. In 2014, over 4,500 people were killed as a result of terrorist attacks.
1. Iraq Index 10
Iraq remains the foreground of continuous terrorist activity. The Islamist extremist group ISIS is currently in control of territories occupied by 10 million people.
The United States ranks 30th on this list, with an index of 4.71. In total, there have been over 48,000 terrorist incidents in the past 14 years, claiming over 107,000 lives. Global terrorism is continuing to grow due to issues with race, religion and political freedom.
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