The US State Department on June 19 released its "Country Reports on Terrorism 2014 [16]," finding that the number of terrorist attacks around the world rose by a third in 2014 compared with the previous year. The number of people killed in such attacks rose by 80%, to nearly 33,000. The sharp increase was largely due to the "unprecedented" seizure of territory in Iraq and Syria by ISIS, and the growith of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Terrorist groups used more aggressive tactics in 2014 than in previous years, such as beheadings and crucifixions. ISIS attacks on religious minorities like Christians and Yazidis are cited. Islamic State was particularly lethal. The reports says the June 2014 massacre at a prison in Mosul, Iraq, in which ISIS killed 670 Shi'ite prisoners "was the deadliest attack worldwide since September 11, 2001." The report notes the "central al-Qaeda leadership" has been weakened, but the network's regional affiliates have gained ground in places like Yemen and the Horn of Africa. (BBC News [17], Reuters [18], State Department [19], June 19)
The report, formerly called "Patterns of Global Terrorism," has been produced by the State Department every year since 2000, although it is now augmented by several such efforts from the private sector [20]. Findings for 2013 [21] similarly showed a significant increase in attacks over the previous year.
