WASHINGTON: Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is taking over al Qaeda as the leading terrorist group in the world, the US state department said on Thursday.
The State Department issued an annual terrorism report in which it said, the group’s [ISIS] is spreading unparalleled brutality, its strength in recruiting foreign fighters, messaging and its ability inspire lone wolf attacks have helped the group replace al Qaeda as the leading global terrorist group.
Al Qaeda diminished in 2014 following the loss of core leadership in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The terrorist group also lost its momentum after the loss, repot.
The number of terrorist attacks in 2014 increased 35% over the previous year, but were more heavily concentrated in a handful of countries.
More than 60% of all attacks took place in five countries — Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria — according to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism at the University of Maryland, which compiles statistics on worldwide terrorism.
