Global terror attacks in 2015 down by 13%, US state department

The US state department has said that a noticable fall in the number of terror attacks around the world was noted in 2015

The US state department attributed the 13% drop from 2014 to fewer attacks in Iraq, Pakistan and Nigeria, three of the five countries most plagued by terrorism.

The other two are India and Afghanistan and together more than half the 11,000 attacks occurred within their borders.

Separately, the UN warned that Daesh was focusing on international civilian targets.

Over the past six months Daesh had carried out attacks in 11 countries, not including its activity in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and Libya, according to the UN.

More than 28,300 people died – a 14% decline - and about 35,300 others were wounded in 11,774 terrorist attacks worldwide last year, data compiled by the University of Maryland showed.

However, the state department said figures showed the terror threat "continued to evolve rapidly in 2015, becoming increasingly decentralised and diffuse".

“Daesh is the biggest single threat,” the state department said.

The group has attracted affiliates and supporters in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Although Daesh was losing territory in Iraq and Syria, it had gained in strength in Libya and Egypt, the report said.

The report also said Iran was the biggest state sponsor of terrorism.

“It [Iran] supports conflicts in Syria and Iraq, and is also implicated in violent Shia opposition raids in Bahrain.”

Bahrain has accused Iran of supplying weapons to Shia militants behind bomb attacks on security forces, while Iran denies this.