Global Terrorism Index (GTI)

In News

• The 2023 edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) was recently released.

About the Global Terrorism Index (GTI)

• About:
  • The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) is a comprehensive study analysing the impact of terrorism for 163 countries covering 99.7 percent of the world’s population.
  • The GTI report is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) using data from Terrorism Tracker and other sources. 
• GTI Score:
  • The GTI produces a composite score so as to provide an ordinal ranking of countries on the impact of terrorism. 
  • The GTI scores each country on a scale from 0 to 10; 
    • Where 0 represents no impact from terrorism and 10 represents the highest measurable impact of terrorism.
  • The GTI considers deaths, incidents, hostages and injuries from terrorism. 
• Aim:
  • Given the significant resources committed to counter terrorism by governments across the world, it is important to analyse and aggregate the available data to better understand its various properties. 
    • One of the key aims of the GTI is to examine these trends. 
  • It also aims to help inform a positive, practical debate about the future of terrorism and the required policy responses.

Key findings from the Global Terrorism Index 2023 report

• Deaths & attacks of terrorism:
  • Terrorist attacks and deaths caused by them decreased by 28 per cent and 9 per cent respectively, but average deaths per attack increased from 1.3 to 1.7 from the previous year in 2022. 
    • Attacks have become more deadly with the lethality rising by 26%.
      • This is attributed to the Taliban’s transition from terror group to state actor. 
      • Afghanistan continues to be the country most affected by terrorism.
  • Outside Afghanistan, terrorism deaths rose 4% in the rest of the world.
• Islamic State (IS) – the deadliest terrorist group:
  • Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates remained the world’s deadliest terrorist group in 2022 for the eighth consecutive year, with attacks in 21 countries.
• Sahel and Af-Pak region:
  • Deaths from attacks by unknown Jihadists globally are eight times higher than 2017, representing 32% of all terrorism deaths and 18 times higher in the Sahel.
  • The Sahel is the most impacted region, representing 43% of global terrorism deaths, 7% more than the year prior.
  • Jihadi upheavals in the Sahel and Af-Pak region remain key drivers of the increase in lethality.
• Global trends:
  • Declining terrorism in the West is met with intensified attacks in other regions.
  • Far-right extremist groups are gaining ground in Europe and North America.
  • Terrorism thrives in countries with poor ecologies and climate induced shocks.
• Formalisation of terrorism:
  • Many states continue to use armed non-state actors for their own objectives, indicating a worrying trend in the formalisation of terrorism.
• Technology use:
  • Drone technology and its use continues to rapidly evolve, especially with groups such as IS, Boko Haram and Houthis.

State sponsored terrorism

• States have been employing armed non-state actors to further their otherwise questionable objectives. For example,
• Russia & Ukraine:
  • Violent extremists are belligerents to the ongoing war in Ukraine. 
  • Chechen fighters who once declared ‘jihad’ against Moscow are fighting for Russia under Ramzan Kadyrov’s leadership. 
  • Islamists who are upset with this and are against Russia have been fighting for Ukraine.
• Turkey:
  • Turkey allegedly backs Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a breakaway from Da’esh, in Syria because they serve as a proxy to their regional interests.
• China:
  • China is also increasingly deploying its Private military and security company (PMSC) along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for security purposes.
  • The Chinese, though warily, are courting the Taliban to fulfil their interests in the region.
• Pakistan:
  • Pakistan, a long-time proven state sponsor of terrorism, is having to deal with the ghosts that have come back to haunt them in the form of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). 
• This trend in the formalisation of terrorist and violent extremist groups by legitimate nation-states does not seem to wane any time soon, which is quite alarming.

Implications for India

• Kashmir:
  • The security situation in Kashmir did take a turn for the good after the abrogation of Article 370 with respect to organised terror, but new challenges emerged in the form rise in lone-wolf attacks and increased use of drones for cross-border terrorism.
• Sikh separatism:
  • The dormant sentiments of Sikh separatism are increasingly showing signs of revival, with the socio-political situation in Punjab taking a radical turn.
• Cross-border narco-terror networks:
  • In both Kashmir and Punjab, a growing trend of increased drug abuse is fuelled by cross-border narco-terror networks.
• Terror drones:
  • India is still not adequately equipped to tackle the challenge of terror drones, whose sightings had multiplied significantly in 2022.

Way ahead

• All nations worldwide must keep up with their counter-terrorism efforts and address real or perceived grievances that make radicalisation possible.
• On the virtue of India’s chairmanship of the UNSC’s Counter-Terrorism Committee and its joining of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) concentrating on extensive Counter-Terrorism cooperation through its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), it can take the leading role in tackling terrorist challenges.

Source: IDSA