MONITORING (SW) – Afghanistan has remained the country most impacted for the second consecutive year on the Global Terrorism Index.
Afghanistan accounted for 41 per cent of deaths from terrorism globally, with the Taliban being responsible for 87 per cent of these fatalities. During 2019 deaths from terrorism declined by 22 per cent, falling to 5,725. While this reduction in the number of deaths provides some optimism, it is the second highest number of deaths recorded from terrorism in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion.
According to the GTI, in 2019, terrorism was widespread in Afghanistan with terrorist incidents recorded in all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, and deaths recorded in every province except Panjsher. The largest number of deaths from terrorism were recorded in Kunduz province with the majority of deaths attributed to the Taliban. In 2019, there were 500 deaths in Kunduz province, a 77 per cent increase from the prior year.
It said while the Taliban remained the most active terrorist group in Afghanistan, deaths attributed to the group fell by 18 per cent in 2019 as US-led counter-terrorism operations intensified. However, despite the decline in terrorism deaths, the group continued to mount large-scale attacks across Afghanistan and total attacks by the group increased by six per cent. The Taliban were responsible for one of the deadliest terror attacks of 2019 when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle and assailants opened fire on a National Directorate for Security (NDS) base in the Maydan Shahr district in January 2019. The attack resulted in at least 129 fatalities and 54 injuries.
According to the report, the Taliban retained a focus on police and military targets in 2019, recording 508 attacks and over 2,900 fatalities.
Although civilian deaths decreased by 45 per cent, attacks against civilians did increase by 25 per cent, the report said.
The peace negotiations between the Taliban and the US continued into 2019 with both sides seeking to reach an agreement.
The Khorasan Chapter of the Islamic State, the ISIL branch active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, was the second deadliest terror group in the country. The group was responsible for six per cent of terror-related deaths in 2019, a five per cent decrease from the previous year.
In 2019, the Khorasan Chapter conducted 55 attacks resulting in 320 deaths. The Khorasan Chapter has been significantly weakened since 2018 as a result of military operations by the Afghan government, the Taliban and US forces.
However, the report said despite recent losses of territory and fighters, the Khorasan Chapter is believed to still have sleeper cells in cities such as Kabul and Jalalabad. The presence of the Khorasan Chapter continues to challenge the Taliban. In 2019, the Khorasan Chapter was active in seven provinces, compared to the Taliban who conducted terror attacks across all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. Sixteen clashes were recorded between the Taliban and the Khorasan Chapter in 2019, mostly in Kunar and Nangahar provinces. These provinces are located along the border with Pakistan and have served as operational bases for the Khorasan Chapter since the group’s inception in 2015.
This is the eighth edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). The report provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 50 years, placing a special emphasis on trends over the past decade.
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